Residents denounce chasing of children from school

Residents have denounced the chasing away of children from school saying it is an affront on the right of access to school for every child. Since schools opened on Tuesday 10 May 2011, numerous schools in Bulawayo have been sending children home for unpaid fees. This is contrary to the country’s Education Act that stipulates that no child in the country should be denied access to school for failure to pay fees. This has however been happening because the Ministry of Education lacks the resources necessary to police schools in the country to ensure that school heads do not abuse their power. What has exacerbated the situation is that most parents are either unemployed or earning paltry salaries meaning that they have difficulty paying school fees for their children. This effectively means education has become a privilege for the rich. Similarly, children are being chased away from school for non-payment of teachers’ incentives. In light of the above, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) is in the process of penning a position paper that it will submit to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education and the Ministry of Education Sport, Art and Culture. In the paper, the association will highlight the problems that it sees with what is currently happening in the country’s education sector and offer possible solutions.