The action was against government policy that no child should be prejudiced because of failure to meet school requirements.
Naturally we are disappointed with the position taken by school authorities to send children home for failing to donate bricks towards an unnecessary school project. The school already has two usable blocks of pit latrines and there was no justified reason for children to be abused and victimised for construction of new toilets. As parents we feel new toilets were a luxury which did not warrant denying poor children access to education, said an angry parent, Gibson Nhemera, of Mupazvirihwo Village.
Other parents said they were struggling to contribute material towards school projects.
Some parents have more than six children at the school and there was no way they could afford to contribute 90 bricks towards the project.
The toilet project was initiated at various rural schools by a local Non Governmental Organisation, Farm Community Trust, whose objective it is to improve the welfare of farming communities. The NGO donated cement towards the scheme and schools were expected facilitate digging of toilet pits and provide bricks.
Post published in: News