Promise tracker: Free education - ZimFact
Ngoni Mhuruyengwe
April 30, 2021
Promise Check: Is government providing free education?
Claim: Government to introduce free-education next year
Source: Sunday Mail
Verdict: There has not been free education in Zimbabwe since 2019 as promised by government when the Education Amendment Act, 2020 was affected.
The Sunday Mail [23/12/2018] carried a banner headline, ‘Free education next year’ and a story headline ‘Government to introduce free education,’. The story claimed that government schools starting the year 2019 will be offering free basic education in accordance with the Education Amendment Act that came into force in March 2020.
The Education Amendment Act 2020 was adapted to align with section 75 of the constitution which provided that every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has the right to basic state funded education.
Under section 27 of the Constitution which is part of the chapter on national objectives, the state “must” take all practical measures to promote free and compulsory basic education for children.
Section 5 of the Education Amendment Bill which promotes ‘Compulsory education,’ reads …. “Every child shall be entitled to compulsory basic state funded education”, complimentary with section 27 of the Constitution, that the state ‘must take all practical measures to promote free and compulsory basic education for children.  The Act places the duty on the State to progressively fund basic education within the limits of resources available.
Education in Zimbabwe:
In 1980 Zimbabwe created free and compulsory primary and secondary education, valuing education as a fundamental right. This fundamental right was clearly articulated in the Education Act of 1987.
It is however important to highlight that whilst the education system was meant to be entirely free in 1980, parents had to pay sports fees for buying equipment and material. There were also building fees for developing the schools. After the Structural Adjustment program of 1992 all goods and services were priced at market value and education ceased to be free. Rural primary schools in Zimbabwe presently cost $15 for fees per term whilst a parent will pay an average of $35 for an urban primary school child (Source:  higherlifefoundation.com/the-primary-and-secondary-education-system-in-zimbabwe/
Has Zimbabwe provided free education since the Education Amendment Act was put in place?
The Education Sector Analysis Report 2020 summarises its key findings as follows:
Diagrams below illustrate the contribution of Zimbabwe parents to education.