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Statement on the increase in university and college fees
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
January 11, 2007

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions is greatly shocked by the announcement of the increase in tuition fees for State Universities, colleges and polytechnics by over 2 000 percent by government.

More shocking is the realization that what the government is doing at the moment is depriving the majority of Zimbabweans their basic right. The right to education.

While it is admissible that there was need to review fees, the ZCTU feels that government should bear the brunt, for it is its obligation to subsidise the education of its citizens and not pass the buck to parents.

The fees increase makes education a preserve for the rich as the majority of parents and guardians will find it impossible to pay such type of fees especially in this harsh economic climate. The Higher Education Ministry should play an influential role in the attainment of education for all. Already, some students had dropped out of college because they could no longer afford to pay the fees and this latest round of increments will certainly increase the number of drop outs.

The ZCTU therefore calls on the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to stop the increments or hike the fees by reasonable margins or alternatively stagger the increments over a period of time to allow parents to adjust to the increases.

Visit the ZCTU fact sheet

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