Education not for all

Today Zimbambwean schools resume for the second term in one of the years that might add up to the wasted academic years. The changes that the education sector have gone through are frightening but as a hopeful nation we just have to hold on, be patient and await a change. Does the beginning of this term ignite excitement in children that are paving way for a bright future, pride to parents that see a tomorrow that will be in the hands of an educated generation or does this mark the beginning of a dreadful three months to come.? The government of Zimbabwe once encouraged everyone to attain a decent education as it offered free education. As time went on school fees and levies increased but were still rather affordable to many. However, currently there has been a bizarre change in the education sector that has left the less privileged doomed. Parents with children attending government and council schools have been forced to pay teachers’ incentives to compensate for the salaries that the government is failing to pay teachers. The government should put into consideration the fact that most of the parents whose children attend these schools have resorted to such schools as they charge affordable fees. By requiring parents to pay incentives ranging from $2 to R60 a month for each child the government expects parents to have such money at hand every month when they also have other expenses. Due to the fact that no child is exempted from paying this money those who cannot afford to fork it out are forced to stay at home until they have the money. Seeing as it is the government that has rubber stamped these incentives, who then will stand up for these children and guard against discrimination in schools? Is the child whose parent or guardian fails to pay this money disobedient? Is the government punishing those that cannot afford to pay teachers’ incentives? Government officials, members of parliament, councillors and other stakeholders are sitting and watching as education becomes a reserve for the elite. The government is at fault for watching teachers take money directly from the residents and pocket it. Because it is the government that has initiated this move, residents are not supposed to query but sit back and watch as this form of corruption spreads and rages havoc in communities.