HARARE - Parents whose children are sitting for A and O level examinations in Zimbabwe are spending a fortune on extra lessons for their children as the countrys education standards continue to plunge to mediocre levels.
Most parents in the country have resorted to hiring private teachers to supplement the students lessons which have been interrupted by incessant teachers strikes and the shortage of teaching staff and textbooks in schools. The situation was particularly bad last term when students only attended lessons for a month due to a crippling strike called by ZIMTA demanding better working conditions and higher salaries.
Parents who spoke to the ***The Zimbabwean this week said they had lost faith in the quality of education which their children were getting from formal schools. I pay US$5 per day for extra lessons for my form six son. Last term the boy did not learn anything as the teachers were on strike and some left for greener pastures in South Africa. What is more disturbing and painful to us parents is that the schools keeps on asking top up fees while our children are not learning anything in schools, said a parent, Tendai Moyo.
Another parent, George Makaka, called on the government to urgently address the current crisis in the education sector. I have two children writing national examinations this term. I am paying close to US$50 per month for extra lessons alone and on top of that I need to pay for their school fees. This is a heavy burden for us parents especially when we consider that times are hard, said Makaka. Some teachers are reported to have left the profession this term to concentrate on offering extra lessons to children.
I get more money by conducting private lessons than being a full time teacher employed by the government. When I was employed my salary was US$150 but now I generate that amount in a days work. The money is also not taxed, said teacher, Never Moyo.
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