As Zimbabwean schools reopen, a familiar controversy has returned: students being sent home due to unpaid tuition. School administrators argue that fee payments are vital for operations, but parents, citing economic hardship, plead for leniency. This standoff exposes a deeper issue punishing learners for circumstances beyond their control and raises urgent questions about ethics, legality, and the rights of children.
Zimbabwe’s Constitution guarantees every child the right to basic education, and the 2020 amendment to the Education Act explicitly prohibits expelling students for non-payment. Section 68C affirms that “no pupil shall be excluded from school for non-payment of school fees,” a legislative move aimed at protecting the most vulnerable. But despite this legal backing, the practice persists in many schools, putting learners’ futures in jeopardy and undermining constitutional protections.
Beyond legal concerns, the emotional and academic toll on students is profound. Being sent home induces shame, disrupts learning continuity, and creates a toxic sense of punishment. Students fall behind, struggle to reintegrate, and often develop negative attitudes toward school. The stigma lingers long after they return making recovery difficult and dropout more likely.
Critics argue that using children as leverage amounts to extortion. The financial contract is between schools and parents not students and punishing children for non-payment is both unethical and ineffective. Instead, schools should pursue legal remedies against defaulting parents or offer structured payment plans. They must distinguish between parents genuinely struggling and those who deliberately ignore responsibilities while affording luxuries.
To tackle root causes, the government and schools must scale up support mechanisms like the BEAM program. Regional models including Kenya’s free primary education and Ghana’s capitation grants — offer proven alternatives. However, Zimbabwe’s access to similar donor-funded solutions is limited by economic sanctions. Addressing these structural barriers, while prioritizing child rights, is essential to delivering inclusive education for all.
