Children plan protest over escalating fees
As the adult population dithers on how to confront the ZANU-PF regime on the deteriorating standards of living, children have decided to take the lead by demanding that the government immediately reverse plans to implement a more than 1 000 percent increase in school fees.
The latest development adds to the plethora of demands confronting government which critics say have been brought about by 26 years of uninterrupted misrule.
Observers note that while other countries in the region are witnessing an improvement in their standards of living, only Zimbabweans continue to wallow in a lifestyle of uncertainty and poverty as evidenced by near 1 000% inflation rate, shortage of fuel, electricity, food, high prices, low salaries, high unemployment and high levels of poverty.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is reportedly pushing for mass peaceful demonstrations to protest worsening lifestyles. The mass action is expected to take place this winter.
Not so with the younger generation
Mark Demba, the spokesman for the Child and Youth Budget Network, a child-led coalition of children's organisations said they wanted to do all in their power to ensure that the shock school fees increment is annulled before schools open on 9 May. The network is a grouping of children's organisations such as Child MPs, Junior Councillors and schools' Interact clubs. "We will do all we can to ensure that the increases are reversed before schools open for the second term. We will try to meet officials from the Ministry of Education because our parents cannot afford what the government wants to charge them."
He said following the high increases, the educational future of 1, 4 million orphans and that of an additional figure of vulnerable children would be uncertain.
"The Basic Education Assistance Module provision of $399 billion would have been enough to pay just the school fees for orphans and vulnerable children before the increases.
School fees at government schools rose from $250 000 to $2 million as did the General Purpose Fund. Our parents cannot afford these high fees. These are just for tuition, 'O'-level students have to pay $500 000 a subject, up from $35 000 while A-level students have to pay $1, 2 million a subject, up from $95 000 a subject."
The children also issued a statement targeted at the government.
"We request the government to re-look and consider an immediate reversal of the hikes in fees (tuition and examination fees). This is our appeal and request to government that it provides lasting solutions to the children's educational problems by providing practical and not theoretical solutions to this appeal. Most importantly, we demand that government put children first and make children's issues a priority."
They also called for transparency in the administration of BEAM.
"We require that BEAM be administered transparently and that realistic amounts be allocated to BEAM to aid the retention of children in schools. We request that government and private schools be effectively regulated in order to control school fees increases and that where such increases are approved, they should take into account, the average incomes of the majority."