MARTIN MAWAYA
HARARE-Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) has rapped the country’s education system as too elitist and discriminatory against the marginalized communities.
In its weekly economic review and analysis ZIMCODD says the current education system creates inequalities and impedes access to quality education to citizens from poor backgrounds.
“The realities of the education system in Zimbabwe are elitist and discriminatory to the poor and middle class who need this education. The systems placed those with money at a vantage point that allows them to access quality education with the poor being at the opposite end of the spectrum,” reads part of the statement.
The social and economic justice organization also implored government to adhere to the Abuja Declaration which mandates 20% of the national budget to be allocated to the education sector.
“This allocation and disbursement would be instrumental in building infrastructure in the form of schools, equipping teachers with adequate teaching equipment such as textbooks,” says the ZIMCODD.
In addition, the organization bemoaned turning away of learners from school for non-payment of fees which it says exacerbates drop outs, teenage pregnancies and child marriages.
It urged authorities to address the plight of teachers and raise their salaries to the living wage.
ZIMCODD added that it was critical to tackle challenges in the teaching fraternity to ensure an efficient education body for teachers.
According to the 2022 World Remit report Zimbabwe’s education ranked as one of the most expensive.
The report further noted that the price of education was six times more than the average income for a family.
