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Zimbabwe's tertiary education face total collapse
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
December 07, 2007

Education a critical player in the development of any societal set up fell prey to political hypocrites of Zimbabwe under the leadership of Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Early post Zimbabwe's independence era, Education and Health took a sharp growth that saw establishment of Hospitals, Clinics, and Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions in all provinces. The question then comes around growth management, if the government did put systems in place that are consistent with the rate of growth, thus maintenance and sustainability of already established and allow for more demand/supply informed growth.

The ill-advised Robert Mugabe made a catastrophic decision on behalf on the citizenry in 1992 where he adopted Economic and Structural Adjustment Programme (E.S.A.P) leading to the privatization of key national services and education was not spared. Making bias and audit to the developments on tertiary education in Zimbabwe, more than 45 tertiary institutions ranging from Universities, Polytechnic, Teachers, and Agricultural colleges have been established to date. Contrary to the foregoing the government failed to put complementary measures that boost the percentage allocation to the education sector on the national budget. It was rather seen proposing more establishments in areas of political interest.

Reparations to the causatives, a gradual and unnoticed shift of responsibilities with regard to financing operational and running costs of tertiary institutions came to the government's rescue. Students have been receiving full government support since the establishment of the oldest institution in 1947 the University of Zimbabwe until 1992 where the government introduced a 50% grant and 50% loan. In 2001, a 100% loan system was adopted and finally on the 10 th of February 2006 the government withdrew support. In full upfront payment of tuition, accommodation and food fees led to an unprecedented rate of student drop out hovering at 31% ( research carried out by Zimbabwe National Students Union, 2006). Similarly, under-financed tertiary institutions fail to improve or rather maintain acceptable standards of teaching and research, ensuing from the mass exodus of qualified teaching staff to greener lands in neighbouring and overseas countries. Great Zimbabwe University continues to run Faculty of Commerce without a single qualified lecturer.

The quality of the products becomes the question at hand. Half baked graduates are being happily capped by Robert Mugabe Chancellor of all state institutions. The same graduates suffer the boomerang effect of the flawed education delivery system as they fail to meet acceptable international standards. Sons and daughters of top government official are receiving first class quality education in other developed countries and therefore will not have direct interest in resuscitating the ever deteriorating standards of education in Zimbabwe. The move by Australian Government to deport children of top government officials becomes highly commendable. They should have a taste of their own medicine.

Benjamin Nyandoro
Former Students Union President
National University of Science and Technology (NUST)

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