Parents’ joy, pain in back-to-school season
Step in Style employees sew bulk uniforms in Chitungwiza yesterday ahead of the schools’ opening. — Picture: Innocent Makawa
MUFARO is palpably excited about starting Grade One.
She skips about Harare’s packed sidewalks as she accompanies her mother, Mrs Tinotenda Magaya, who is finalising shopping for her school supplies.
She, however, appears oblivious of her mother’s predicament.
In Mrs Magaya’s left hand is a long list of all the supplies required for her child on opening day at their school in Budiriro.
The list looks endless.
It reads: “Exercise books: Maths (4); Shona (2); English (2); Heritage (1); Science (1); Information and Communication Technology (1); VPA (Visual and Performing Arts) (1); Physical Education (1); Tests (1); Homework (2); Morning work (1); Bond paper (two reams); two rulers; two tape measures; 10 pencils; pencil case; two sharpeners; two thick sellotape rolls; two paper glue tubes; two packs pencil crayons; and a 60-page pocket file.”
The list continues: “Textbooks: Ventures English; Ventures Maths and Science; Ventures Gore Rekutanga; Ventures Heritage and Social Studies; Ventures Physical Education; Plus One Visual Performing Arts; and CPS Information and Technology.
“Reading books: Sunrise (Editions 1 to 10); and Ziva ChiShona Readers (Book 1-10).”
Mrs Magaya figures she will need not less than US$200 to buy the requisite stationery and textbooks.
But that is not all.
She has already parted with a substantial amount of money to secure a place for her child at the school, as well as buying her a new set of school uniforms, which included winter wear, a satchel, a food bag and sports attire. “The last few days have been hectic,” she says. “I don’t know what I would have done had I not paid part of Mufaro’s tuition fees last year when we secured a place for her.
“Be that as it may, I do not think I have enough money on me to buy all the stuff that is being requested by the school.”
A new beginning
Schools open their doors for the first term on Tuesday, and with them comes a whirlwind of logistical anxieties and financial strain for parents and guardians.
For many parents, preparing for the first week of schooling is not just about new uniforms and exercise books; it is also a high-wire act of juggling rising costs and ensuring children land safely in schools, ready to learn.
Mrs Magaya’s predicament offers a glimpse into the mosaic of challenges Zimbabwean parents face ahead of opening week.
From urban mothers juggling budgets to rural fathers bartering their harvest for a chance at their children’s future, the stories show resilience, grit and a love for education that burns brighter than any economic hardship.
As schools open this week, many parents will be struggling to balance a long list of obligations to ensure their child begins the new schooling year in good stead.
Tuition fees and uniforms
Topping the priorities for many will be the payment of school fees.
Over the years, it has become customary for some rogue school officials to illegally hike tuition fees and levies ahead of school opening, a development that often sees parents struggling to pay for their children’s education.
Some schools have also become notorious for forcing parents to buy overpriced school uniforms for their children.
While this practice has festered unabated for years, to the detriment of the provision of universal education, the Government has begun rolling out measures to upend the malpractices.
Last year, the authorities set up close to 100 rapid response centres countrywide for parents to report school authorities that unilaterally hike tuition fees, conduct unsanctioned extra lessons and turn away learners for non-payment of fees, among other aberrations.
In addition, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education last month gazetted Statutory Instrument (SI) 240 of 2023, which sets out this year’s ceiling for tuition fees.
In terms of the new regulations, Government schools classified under P3 (rural schools) must not charge more than US$5 per term, while tuition fees for P2 schools (high-density areas) have been set at US$10.
Back to school . . . Vendors sell stationery on a pavement along Rezende Street in Harare yesterday. — Picture: Charles Muchakagara
Lastly, for P1 schools (low-density areas), the ceiling has been set at US$20.
For secondary schools, the tuition fees for S1 schools in low-density suburbs has been pegged at US$40 a term, US$20 for S2 schools in high-density areas and US$10 for S3 schools in rural areas.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo told The Sunday Mail that it has been made clear that “no school should increase school fees unless it has been approved by the permanent secretary and his committee”.
“We gave a directive and said parents and learners should be given latitude to buy uniforms in stores they can afford as long as it is the right uniform,” he said.
Government, he added, would invoke SI 1 of 2000 to discipline school officials that force parents and guardians to buy uniforms exclusively from the schools.
Extra lessons
Another headache confronting parents is the resumption of extra lessons when schools open. Extra lessons refer to additional tuition sessions conducted outside of regular school hours.
These sessions are typically offered by teachers, either voluntarily or for a fee, and are aimed at providing learners with more focused support and practice in specific subjects.
While some parents view extra lessons favourably, others have strong reservations.
They feel extra lessons add a significant financial strain to families already grappling with inflation and the high cost of living.
In most high-density areas, teachers charge between US$1 and US$2 a day for extra lessons.
Parents, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, may struggle to afford additional tuition fees.
Experts believe the cost factor creates an uneven playing field, potentially widening the educational gap between children from wealthy families who can afford extra lessons and those who cannot.
But what is even worrying for parents is the tendency by some teachers to neglect learners who would not have paid for extra lessons. This is meant to arm-twist parents to pay up. As schools open, some parents are hoping the Government will take decisive measures to deter teachers from conducting paid-for extra lessons.
“No school or teacher has been authorised to conduct extra lessons,” Minister Moyo said.
New curriculum
Also looming large is the hugely anticipated introduction of the revamped school curriculum later this year. Minister Moyo is expected to table the new educational framework when Cabinet reconvenes in February.
The new curriculum will lay out the knowledge, skills and values that learners will be expected to grasp between 2024 and 2030. Review of the current curriculum, which came into force in 2015, commenced in April last year and involved countrywide consultations with parents and stakeholders in the education sector.
It is envisaged the reviewed framework will take on board societal, technological and educational changes that have emerged since 2015.
The continuous assessment learning activities (CALAs) that are part of the current curriculum came under heavy criticism during the consultative meetings.
CALAs represent a significant shift from the traditional exam-focused education system.
Some believe its emphasis on continuous assessment throughout the term, involving various activities and projects, can be confusing and unfamiliar for parents who experienced the old system.
The complexity of CALAs, with their diverse assessment methods and record-keeping requirements, some experts say, can overwhelm parents who might struggle to understand them fully or monitor their children’s progress effectively.
Veteran educationist Professor Caiphas Nziramasanga said the Government should reduce the number of CALA components per subject to ensure learners fully benefit from the exercise.
“There is a need to reduce the number of activities per subject depending on the grade or ability of the learner,” he said.
“A learner should have one or two activities per subject that they master from primary to secondary level. The research part should be removed and the activities are left with a practical side, which lets the learner get the highest point of skills in any activity.”
Minister Moyo refused to divulge the exact changes that will be introduced in the new curriculum.
He said: “In terms of the new curriculum, there are going to be some changes. However, we cannot disclose them at the moment as we have not presented it to Cabinet.”
However, as schools open their doors on Tuesday, the story is not just about hardship.
It is also about the parents, such as Mrs Magaya, who are determined to educate Zimbabwe’s future leaders.