HARARE – The General Secretary of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Raymond Majongwe, reacted angrily to the government’s reforms in the education sector and called for a referendum.
It comes after parliament passed a law preventing schools from expelling girls who become pregnant, while teachers will not be allowed to hit pupils. government educators.
“On the issue of corporal punishment, we have liberalized beyond our comfort zone. If we allow what is happening in our schools to continue, they will be ungovernable because truancy, drug abuse and school dropouts will be the order of the day.
“The government bans these disciplinary tools but does not introduce new tools to enable teachers to deal with wayward behavior. They are pouring oil on the fire.
“We are importing a South African school facility into Zimbabwe and the victims will be the teachers.
“Personally, I would have preferred a referendum on this issue. Regarding pregnancy, we tell children that they can do whatever they want and we will welcome them.
“These are the same people who fought for school children to put condoms in their lunch boxes. I really think we should have a referendum; I seriously doubt that the people of Zimbabwe will support this,” Majongwe said as quoted by the online publication Kukurigo.
The amendment to the Education Act was passed by Parliament, approved by President Mnangagwa and published in the Official Gazette. It states: “No student may be expelled from school for non-payment of school fees or because of pregnancy.”
During a parliamentary debate, Professor Paul Mavima, then Prince and Minister for Secondary Education, said that the expulsion of a girl because she was pregnant had a discriminatory effect if she had been impregnated by a colleague who in most cases would have been admitted with his education.
It comes after some lawmakers argued that allowing a girl who became pregnant to continue studying meant crime among students was condoned. The law will also prohibit corporal punishment.
