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    ZHRC concerned over education divide between schools

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    Harare, (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has expressed concern over the difference in the quality of education between private and public schools, as well as those in urban and rural areas.

    It said this in a statement ahead of commemorations of the Day of the Africa Child (DAC) to be held on Sunday.

    Also of concern to the ZHRC is the divide on access to technology, teaching and learning resources.

    The DAC is celebrated on June 16 every year in memory of the 1976 Soweto uprising massacre of African school children by the apartheid-era South African government.

    The learners were protesting against the poor quality of their education compared to their European counterparts and the requirement for African children to be taught in Afrikaans.

    This year the commemorations are being held under the theme “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa”.

    ZHRC said the newly introduced heritage learning is an opportunity for the Zimbabwe government to realign the curriculum to the national vision and ensure education remains inclusive and relevant to the needs of current and future generations.

    “Child marriages, early pregnancies and drug and substance abuses resulting in school dropouts remain major threats in accessing inclusive, quality and relevant education. As such the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission urges the Government of Zimbabwe to maintain and escalate policy measures against such,” it said.

    Noting that DAC commemorations are helping to keep the struggle for child rights and welfare at the forefront in Africa, the ZHRC acknowledged that Zimbabwe has made significant strides towards achievement of universal access to education by all children regardless of nationality, race, colour, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, gender, disability or economic or social status or any other ground for discrimination.

    “Recently enacted policies on inclusive education for children with disabilities and legal provisions on reintegration of pregnant and adolescent mothers into the education system, non-exclusion of children from classes for non-payment of school fees and provision of sanitary wear and other menstrual health facilities to girls in all schools to promote menstrual health, further enhance inclusive education,” it said.

    The ZHRC also acknowledged that the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) and other interventions have assisted many vulnerable children to access inclusive, quality and relevant education while deprivation by parents or guardians of a child’s right to education is now an offence that attracts a prison term.

    “Furthermore, corporal punishment has been outlawed in schools. As the nation celebrates the Day of the African Child, the Commission appeals to the GoZ to continue supporting children to access inclusive, quality and life-long education by ensuring the aforementioned legal provisions on inclusive education are enforced and while ensuring timeous disbursement of funds under BEAM.”

    On its part, ZHRC said it has mainstreamed children’s rights in all its work to include awareness campaigns and training on human rights monitoring of care institutions including mental health institutions and those of children with disabilities, monitoring of prisons such as Whawha Young Offenders’ Prison and resolution of complaints involving and affecting child rights issues, such as access to civil documents, exclusion from school due to non-payment of school fees and ensuring an end to partisan food aid distribution.

    New Ziana

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