Gold pits lure Zimbabwean pupils out of school

IN Zimbabwe's gold-rich rural communities, classrooms are increasingly losing the battle to gold pits as poverty, unemployment and the promise of quick money push young people out of school and into artisanal mining.

Gold remains a major pillar of Zimbabwe's economy, generating billions of dollars in export earnings. However, the sector continues to face challenges including smuggling, environmental degradation, dangerous working conditions and widespread informal mining.

Across the country's gold-producing provinces, pickaxes and shovels are increasingly replacing pens and textbooks as young people abandon formal education for the immediate income offered by artisanal mining.

For some, the decision is driven by the belief that education offers few guarantees of employment.

Willard Choruma, a Form Two dropout from Makonde in Mashonaland West province, said he had no regrets about leaving school for mining.

"I thought it best to go mining because it is profitable," he said.

"There is no point pursuing education when you will still be forced into artisanal mining due to lack of jobs. It is better I do it now while I still have the physical power."

For others, however, dropping out is a response to financial hardship at home.

In Mhondoro-Ngezi, Richmond Paruwani left school after his parents could no longer afford his fees. He now views mining as an opportunity to support his family.

"It was a blessing in disguise," he said.

"Now I am making enough money to look after my parents and siblings, something someone who finished school may not be able to do."

Even completing secondary school does not necessarily guarantee employment.

Paruwani's friend, Tinashe, obtained his Ordinary Level certificate but eventually joined him in artisanal mining after encountering high tertiary education costs, limited job opportunities and a stagnant economy.

"Sometimes I think I should have ventured into artisanal mining long ago," he said.

"At least I am earning money that even those who pursued higher education can only dream of."

The growing movement from classrooms to mining areas has raised concern among education stakeholders, who say economic hardship is driving a significant number of pupils out of school.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said government figures indicated that more than 30% of pupils were dropping out for various reasons, including economic challenges.

PTUZ secretary for research Josiphat Gwezhira said approximately 325 000 pupils were expected to sit for Ordinary Level examinations in 2025, but only about 209 000 eventually wrote the examinations.

That suggested that approximately 116 000 pupils did not sit for the examinations.

"Those figures provided by the ministry are shocking, to say the least and a large chunk dropout due to economic reasons," Gwezhira said.

"Most of those who drop out are boys than girls and the dropout figure is an understatement."

Makonde-based teacher Rosten Mutapa said the problem went beyond poor academic performance and reflected a growing crisis of motivation among pupils.

"Pupils see little return on investment in staying in school when university graduates and teachers themselves struggle financially," Mutapa said.

He pointed to the difficulties faced by trained teachers as evidence of the problem, saying the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education was still absorbing some graduates who completed their training as far back as 2022.

The situation has contributed to a perception among some young people that formal education does not necessarily translate into economic security.

In mining centres such as Shurugwi, Mazowe, Chegutu and Mutare, young people who gain access to productive gold claims can sometimes appear more financially successful than educated professionals earning low salaries.

High tuition and examination fees, combined with poorly equipped rural schools and limited employment prospects, have reinforced the perception that education offers uncertain returns.

But the apparent financial rewards of artisanal mining come with significant risks.

Informal miners often operate without adequate safety measures or social protection and face dangerous working conditions, violent disputes over mining claims and the risk of fatal shaft collapses.

Exposure to hazardous substances such as mercury also presents serious health and environmental concerns.

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) said the country needed to rethink how educational success was measured and how young people were prepared for the labour market.

Artuz leader Obert Masaraure criticised the reliance on five Ordinary Level passes as a benchmark for determining a young person's prospects.

"Every learner possesses unique talents that should be identified, nurtured and developed from an early stage," Masaraure said.

"We are calling for a radical policy shift that prioritises vocational training, technical education, and early specialisation."

He said practical training could give young people pathways into industries such as mining without forcing them to rely on dangerous and informal operations.

"Equipping young people with formal, practical skill-sets allows them to enter industries like mining legitimately and safely rather than risking their lives in illegal pits," he said.

Centre for Natural Resource Governance director Farai Maguwu said Zimbabwe's lack of a diversified manufacturing sector had left mining among the few industries capable of providing immediate income.

He said the involvement of children in mining was particularly worrying.

"We are seeing a lot of young people being lured into the mining sector with the promise of getting rich fast," Maguwu said.

"When you hear government boasting that artisanal mining is the biggest contributor of gold received by Fidelity, it's a confession of failure."

The growing migration from classrooms to gold pits highlights a broader economic dilemma facing Zimbabwe: while the country's mineral wealth offers immediate income opportunities, the long-term cost of losing young people from the education system could be far greater.

Without stronger household incomes, affordable education, practical vocational pathways and sustainable employment opportunities, gold mining is likely to continue competing with schools for Zimbabwe's young people.