Videocrux - Zimbabwe's children turn to home-grown schooling

#Videocrux - Zimbabwe's children turn to home-grown schooling Zimbabwe's children turn to home-grown schooling
Things have improved in Zimbabwe since the formation of the unity government a year ago, but even the most basic infrastructure and government services suffer from a dire lack of resources. Schools have it particularly tough -- with up to 50 children per class, and one book shared between 20. Faced with that penury, some parents are turning to a growing number of private schools.
Education system of Zimbabwe in crisis
As the world focuses on the inauguration of Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister and the commencement of a government of national unity, UNICEF today released data revealing that 94 per cent of schools in rural Zimbabwe remain closed and called for a prioritization of the education sector by the new government. The figures emerging from routine assessment visits across Zimbabwe revealed that 66 of 70 schools were abandoned. The education crisis which started last year saw a marked depletion of teachers in schools, plummeting school attendance rate from over 80 per cent to 20 per cent and postponement of national schools’ exams. This year schools were opened two weeks late, exam results have not been released and learning only resumed in some urban areas for the few who could afford to subsidize teachers’ salaries and pay exorbitant tuition fees in US dollars.
Private institutions cropping up in Zimbabwe
Gabriel Daniel Mpofu, Director of Direct Contact private school says "There’s an element of individualization of instruction, there’s an element of differentiation. So all teachers should be well invested with such principles of learning, and these are catered for in a private institution."
Lack of financial resources cripples govt.
Now on the brink of collapse, Zimbabwe's education system was once the best in Africa. However, past successes have been reversed by a raft of problems hinging on the lack of financing, which has led to a marked declined in the pay envelope of teachers and school improvement grants. David Coltart, Education and Culture Minister says “I’m not against the proliferation of these schools so long as they are opened within the laws of Zimbabwe and they are properly registered so we can ensure that there are minimum standards met regarding with the state of the buildings, the curriculum and of course that there are the necessary safeguards put in to ensure that we don’t for example get pedophiles teaching.”
Limited resources to adequately monitor school
“The problem that we have faced in the last few years is that they have not had the resources they need to adequately monitor schools. They haven’t had vehicles, they haven’t had an adequate fuel allowance.” says David Coltart, Education and Culture Minister

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