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ROHR Zimbabwe hails free education for the rural child
Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR)
March 10, 2009

Last week on Thursday 05 March 2009, the Minister of Education, Sports and Culture Mr. David Coltart announced new fees structure for 2009, which are as follows:

P1 Primary low density------------------------150

P2 Primary high-density------------------------20

P3 Primary rural----------------------------------Nil

S1 secondary low density form1-4----------200

S1 Secondary low density form 5-6---------280

S2 Secondary high density Form 1-4-------100

S2 Secondary high density Form 5-6-------180

S3 Secondary rural Form 1-4------------------50

S3 Secondary rural Form 5-6------------------80

In his announcement the Hon Minister made free primary education for rural children. To ROHR Zimbabwe the move to grant free education to rural children is welcome considering that rural communities are mostly affected by poverty, drought and hunger. This idea has been long overdue considering that children can only be empowered through education. Poverty can also be conquered through education, and the simple fact that education is every child's basic human right as enshrined in the Universal Declaration Human Rights (UDHR), African Charter Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) and the Zimbabwean constitution.

When Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980 the president, Robert Mugabe his government built infrastructure for schools in both rural and urban areas. This allowed almost all children to undergo basic primary education. Rural children dropped out of school because poverty could not allow parents to prioritize education of the child at the expense of food and welfare of the family. The exorbitant school fees charged denied orphans and the vulnerable children access to basic elementary education. With this move we believe rural communities will benefit in terms of reduction in criminal and immoral activities that had taken roots because of the cost of education. Criminal and immoral activities such as house breaking, robbery, prostitution where girl children risk catching Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD) and early marriages were mainly results of school drop due to exorbitant school fees demanded by schools.

Free education for rural children is the first step towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which advocates for education for all. However the government still owes the urban children and should quickly move in to make education a free service regardless of urban or rural setup.

We support the Zimbabwe Students Union (ZINASU) in denouncing the exorbitant fees gazetted for tertiary institution and therefore call upon the government to further down to levels affordable to everyone.

Let's celebrate International Women's Day together

Yesterday 08 March was International Women's Day and ROHR Zimbabwe would like to join the women of Zimbabwe and the world over in commemorating such a day. This day comes when the nation is mourning the tragic death of Mai Tsvangirai, the wife of Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai who lost her life in a car accident. Mai Tsvangirai in our own eyes represents the success story to Zimbabwean women; we deeply extend our heartfelt condolence to the Prime Minister Tsvangirai and family, let her soul rest in eternal peace.

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