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The right to education, the right to a future
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
January 15, 2008

As schools open today, 15 January 2008, children are left stranded in the economic cold and money crisis being experienced by the country. To top it all infrastructures at schools continue to disintegrate as schools are lacking the capacity to function to their maximum capacity.

Most boarding schools are now charging not less than $166,000.000.00 as the government regulated school fees. In the previous term, students in most boarding schools were sent back home as the food had run out. Some of them were even made to pay top up fees. The fees would not sustain the schools to run for three months due to the inflation levels.

Equally the same, uniforms, stationery, counter books are now beyond the reach of ordinary citizens as the have sky rocketed to unprecedented amounts. A pair of shoes is now going for more than $50 million while school uniforms can be bought for almost $40 million. In addition, counter books are being sold for not less than $6 million per unit.

The crisis is further exacerbated by the cash shortages which have become a thorn in Zimbabwe's side. Although the Reserve Bank governor, Gideon Gono promised that money would be available in the market in the first week of January, winding queues are still being spotted at all banking halls in the country. Parents are failing to reach their monetary obligations due to the cash crisis which the RBZ governor seems to be taking lightly as he remains adamant of his 'wait and see' approach to the cash crisis.

Schools have not been spared from the water and electricity crisis bedeviling the country, as some schools in the previous term were going for weeks without water supplies. This breeds fertile soil for the outbreak of deadly diseases such as cholera and diarrhea, which result from poor sanitation and lack of water.

The government needs to fully address the plight of school children as they have a right to education as enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Education should be affordable and within the reach of all Zimbabweans regardless of their economic and social standing.

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