Tsholotsho villagers demand free education in schools

MATABELELAND NORTH - TSHOLOTSHO villagers have urged government to subsidize education in line with the new constitution saying their children abandoned school because most parents could not pay school fees.

Youths from Matabeleland have often been accused of shunning education to go neighbouring South Africa and Botswana to in pursuit of menial jobs but the former have argued that they are marginalised by being deprived access to state resources.

At a public hearing meeting on the Bill of Rights organised by the Rural Communities Empowerment Trust in Tsholotsho district last week, villagers said while the current constitution had provisions guaranteeing free education, their children were often sent off from school for failing to pay school fees.

"The constitution says our children must get free education but that has not been the case. Most of our children do not go to school because we cannot afford school fees," said a villager who identified herself as Juliet Ndlovu.

"Most of the families here in Tsholotsho live below the poverty datum line hence it is difficult to get money for education," added another villager who only identified himself as Moyo.

Ward 15 councillor, Clement Dube said he had engaged local School Development Committees and school heads on the need to abide by the provisions of the constitution on education.

"I have held meetings with School Development Committees and school heads on the need to make education accessible for all and we have resolved that there is need to strike a balance between schools and parents.

Parents facing difficulties in paying school fees for their children must engage school heads so that they come up with alternative means of settling their debts," Dube said.

However, most schools have often collided with government for illegal send-off children who default payment arguing that they could not run schools on a zero budget.

Cllr Dube concurred that while the constitution guarantees free education for children, government had no money to subsidise education hence schools charge fees so that they are able to run schools.

Villagers also raised concerns over the way the Basic Education Assistance Module is administered saying eligible children were being side-lined in favour of children whose parents sat on shortlisting committees.

The facility is meant to offer social protection and pay primary school fees for underprivileged children but government has been failing to fund the scheme due to budgetary constraints.