15/10/2025
https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/new-zimbabwe-government-cracks-down-on-schools-turning-away-students-for-unpaid-fees/
The proposal to prosecute headmasters for turning away students while simultaneously advocating for debt collectors and traditional leaders to recover school fees fundamentally misses the core issue: the *government's responsibility to provide social protection for learners* facing poverty.
The crisis of non-payment of fees, especially in rural areas, isn't a simple case of parental obstinacy; it's a stark reflection of deep-seated *rural poverty and economic hardship*.
The True Barrier to Education: Systemic Poverty
The article's focus on prosecution and debt collection treats a *symptom* (non-payment of fees) rather than the *disease* (widespread poverty).
* Poverty, Not Stubbornness: High rates of non-payment in rural schools are not indicative of parents deliberately exploiting the system, but of the harsh economic realities. Many rural families rely on subsistence farming or unstable informal employment, making consistent school fee payments, levies, and auxiliary costs impossible. Enlisting traditional leaders or debt collectors against these struggling families only serves to inflict further stress and humiliation without solving the underlying financial inability.
* A Deeper Lack of Basic Needs: The struggle to afford basic education costs signals a much broader lack of means. The government should infer that if parents are struggling to pay school fees, they are also struggling to pay for:
* Quality Health Services: Access to private doctors, essential medications, and even basic clinic fees.
* Decent Clothing: Items like *shoes*, *stockings*, *school uniforms*, and *warm clothing* which are often prerequisites for school attendance and dignity.
* Nutritious Food: Leading to childhood malnutrition and reduced cognitive function, further compounding poor educational outcomes.
* Proper Sanitation and Housing: Contributing to a cycle of illness and missed school days.
The non-payment of fees is the visible tip of an iceberg of *multidimensional poverty* that affects the whole community.
The Consequence: A Cycle of Poor Quality and Lost Opportunity
When fees go unpaid, schools lack the necessary operating funds, leading naturally to a decline in the **quality of education**.
* Deteriorating Standards: Schools struggle to pay staff, maintain infrastructure, purchase textbooks and essential teaching aids, and invest in teacher development.
* Compromised Life Chances: This poor quality directly affects students' performance and life opportunities. A weak education system in rural areas ensures that successive generations remain ill-equipped to break the cycle of poverty, affecting the long-term social and economic prospects of entire communities.
* Violation of Rights: Criminalizing non-payment or employing debt collectors against vulnerable parents violates the spirit of a child's constitutional right to basic, state-funded education and risks further traumatizing children and destabilizing families.
Government's Responsibility: Coordinating Social Protection
The only sustainable solution is for the government to step up and fulfill its obligation to provide comprehensive *social protection* for its most vulnerable citizens.
Instead of advocating for the prosecution of parents, the government should be coordinating a multi-sectoral response involving other government departments and external partners.
Required Coordinated Action:
1. Government Departments:
* Department of Social Development (DSD) / Social Welfare: Should be the primary coordinator, significantly scaling up the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) to cover a wider range of costs (fees, uniforms, examination fees, stationary) with faster disbursement, ensuring no child is ever turned away.
* Ministry of Health and Child Care: Must coordinate with DSD to link school assistance with basic healthcare access and feeding schemes to address health and nutrition barriers to learning.
* Ministry of Local Government/Rural Development: Should work with community structures to identify the most vulnerable families quickly and transparently.
2. External and Non-Governmental Partners:
* UNICEF: Can provide technical assistance, advocacy for child rights, and funding support for educational resources, infrastructure, and school retention programs.
* NGOs (e.g., CAMFED, Save the Children): Existing organizations with proven models for providing holistic support—including financial aid, uniforms, menstrual hygiene supplies, and psychosocial support—should be engaged and supported to expand their reach, particularly in remote rural areas.
* The Private Sector: Can be incentivized to adopt specific schools or districts under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs to fund infrastructure, learning materials, and technology.
This approach shifts the focus from penalizing impoverished parents to protecting the child's right to learn and making a strategic investment in human capital for national development.
Trust Freddy Herald Correspondent The Government will prosecute school heads who turn away students for non-payment of school fees, as that responsibility lies with the parents, who can be sued…
