Factsheet: What about the “privatisation” of Mission Schools in Zimbabwe?

A number of Mission Schools run by Churches in Zimbabwe have applied to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for permission to “transition” to private schools.

Churches run 7.14% and 11.91% of Zimbabwe’s primary and secondary schools respectively, according to a Primary and Secondary Education Statistics Report for 2022 – Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education)

Which schools that have privatised, and the implication of the change in status.

What does privatisation of mission schools mean?

This is when mission schools migrate their systems to become purely private. This means they will no longer be regulated by government in setting up their fee structure, curriculum and the deployment of teachers.

Mission Schools that have privatised or are planning to privatise

School	Proposed/ Year of Privatisation
St Ignatius College	2020
St Francis Xavier’s Kutama College	2023
Marist Brothers Nyanga High School	2027
Regina Mundi Girls High School	2024

Schools in the process of privatising

In 2021, The Anglican Church Diocese of Manicaland Province said it planned to privatise half a dozen mission schools “to improve the quality of education at the institutions”. This move has faced strong resistance from key stakeholders including parents and community members. Below are some of the mission schools that have been slated for privatisation.

St Anne’s Goto
St Augustine’s
St David’s Bonda High School
St Mary’s Magdalena
St Mathias Tsonzo
St Faiths

What reasons are the Churches advancing for privatising schools?

To improve the learning standards at the school
To ensure staff retention by paying teachers and other personnel competitive salaries
To mobilize funds to update the schools’ infrastructure

What are the implications of privatisation?

Increased capacity to mobilise more financial resources, including ability to allocate more money towards capital development projects at schools.
More flexibility in education delivery, schools have the liberty to expand their learning objectives or choose which curriculum to follow.
High increases in school fees disadvantages children from families or backgrounds with limited resources.