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Zim students to bring own food
Regerai Marwezu, Zim Online
May 30, 2007

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=1455

MASVINGO - School heads in Zimbabwe have ordered students in boarding schools and colleges to bring their own food saying the institutions can no longer afford to provide meals to students because of high costs.

In a letter to the Ministry of Education dated 24 May 2007, the Association of School Heads said the situation in boarding schools was now unbearable as the schools were no longer able to provide meals to students.

The school heads say students must bring their own sugar, cooking oil and maize-meal, all in short supply in Zimbabwe. Those who fail to bring the food items would be chucked out from boarding facilities.

"We write this letter to inform you that boarding schools in the country are now ordering students to bring their own mealie-meal, cooking oil and sugar with immediate effect," read part of the letter written to Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere.

"Since we cannot increase fees without your approval, we have decided to put the burden on the parents who have to make sure that their children have enough food to eat. Most boarding schools are no longer able to provide food to students because of the high costs involved," added the letter.

Students at Silveira Mission in Masvingo province confirmed the new requirement saying they had since been told to bring their own food to school.

"We were served with letters to pass on to our guardians and parents over the latest requirement last week," said one of the students, who refused to be named.

Masvingo regional director for education, Obert Mujuru, said although he was aware of the latest move, schools must first get permission from Chigwedere before they can implement the new requirement.

"It is true that some boarding schools including those run by churches now want students to bring their own food. The move is illegal since the minister has to approve the whole thing before it is implemented," said Mujuru.

A fired-up Chigwedere said school heads who implement the move risk being dismissed from their jobs.

"We will never allow them to order students to bring their own food," said Chigwedere.

"I received the letter from the Association of Schools Heads on Monday on that issue but to me they are just joking. Anyone who implements this will be fired."

Zimbabwe's education system, once revered as one of the best in Africa, is in shambles in tandem with a deep political and economic crisis that is blamed on President Robert Mugabe's policies.

Lack of state funding has seen most government schools operating on shoe-string budgets, compromising the quality of education while thousands of teachers who are among the lowest paid civil servants, have fled the country to seek better paying jobs elsewhere. - ZimOnline

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