Zimbabwe’s schools are set to open on Monday 30 August 2021. The education sector is crisis ridden and duty bearers seem not to notice. The evident dilemma is the need to balance the interest of leaners, especially examination classes versus the social challenges of poverty and incapacitation of both teachers and parents. This financial challenge is a result of poor salaries, the Covid 19 lockdown squeeze and rising basic commodity increases.
If we do not act and bring this reality to Government attention, millions are set to dropout because of both failing to pay fees and falling victim to multiple societal ills during the long lockdown. Teachers will not be teaching because they are incapacitated and our schools will be super spreaders as the majority of our public schools have no capacity to adhere to Standard Operating Procedures in the face of COVID19.
Therefore, our basic call to Government, which declared a fiscal surplus plus recently received almost $1bn United States dollars from the International Monetary Fund to pay more urgent attention to the education sector.
ARTUZ is kindly inviting ALL Teachers, support staff and struggling parents to help raise a RED FLAG for the education crisis. Put on RED clothes on Monday 30 August 2021 and send the following message to government;
- Restore teacher salaries to pre-October 2018 value to enable them to discharge their duties.
- Ministry of Finance to rescue basic education by registering all exam classes at $84 RTGS/subject to enable learners to psychologically focus on studying and waiving school fees for all learners in public schools. Incomes of parents were wiped away during the hard lockdown.
- Capacitate schools to adhere to S.O.Ps.
- Declare an inclusive policy for all learners, including those with pregnancies, those trapped in early marriages and those with fees areas to be allowed access to education.
- Take education as a public health emergency and use the declared 2021 bumper harvest to provide supplementary feeding to areas with high hunger incidences (both rural and urban)
Lets make Monday 30 August a RED MONDAY drawing attention of Government to the education crisis. We plead with our Councillors, Members of Parliament, Senators, Churches, the media and other public policy officials to help raise this situation with central Government.
If we don’t speak out and bring these policy challenges to Government, we will destroy a beloved generation of children.
Share your RED PICTURES on social media using hashtag #SaveOurEducationZw
Source: ARTUZ
