Esap and Education in Zimbabwe
ESAP AND EDUCATION IN ZIMBABWE
Historical Background
-at Independence in 1980, the Zimbabwean government adopted polices in line with its Socialist ideology
-it advocated for universal access to social services, including health and education
-it also sought to dismantle racial segregation in the provision of services and other areas of society
-this meant vast expansion in such social services
-to do this, government ministries and departments grew tremendously
-this led to great expansion in government expenditure to provide these services
-RESULT: government expenditure exceeded government revenue (budget deficit)
-the budget deficit grew up to 10.5% in 1991
-this meant that the government was forced to borrow to finance its expenditure, worsening its local and foreign debt
-excessive government borrowing starved the private sector of investment, raising interest rates and causing inflation
Zimbabwe then adopted the programme ESAP (the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme) to run from 1991 to 1995
Aims of ESAP
The aims of ESAP were:
-to spearhead a sustainable, higher and long-term economic growth of at least 5% per annum
-to reduce poverty in the population
-to reduce the budget deficit and encourage private sector investment
-to change from the country’s Socialist ideology to another ideology (the alternative ideology was not spelt out)
-to deregulate the economy (liberalizing currency exchange rates, prices, wages/salaries etc)
-“Government has seen this to be the opportune time to do away with most economic regulations, and will now allow market forces to operate in directing both the pace and the course of economic activities in Zimbabwe. The economy is currently subjected to a host of economic regulatory mechanisms on prices, incomes, employment of labour and foreign exchange. Government is now convinced that these regulatory mechanisms have served their purpose.” (Senior Minister, Finance, B. Chidzero: July 1990)
Expectations from ESAP
ESAP was expected to achieve the following outcomes:
-a reduction in government expenditure, especially on education and health (this would reduce the budget deficit)
-the use of a significant proportion of government revenue for investment, to promote economic development
-an increase in government revenue arising from various cost-recovery measures, e.g. school fees, hospital fees etc.
-HOWEVER, service provision was expected to be maintained at previous levels. The disadvantaged groups of society would be ‘cushioned’ through Social Welfare programmes, e.g. the Social Dimensions Fund
The Economic Outcomes of ESAP
Due to a number of factors, ESAP did not meet much success. The following are some of the prominent economic outcomes of the programme:
-increased government expenditure, causing a greater budget deficit
-economic growth rates averaging less than 1% per annum over the 5 years (Botswana – 3.45%; Mozambique – 3.08%; Swaziland – 2.51%)
-rising poverty levels (more people lived below the Poverty Datum Line after ESAP than before it)
-sharp rises in unemployment (the Civil Service was reduced by 25% except in education/health)
-a struggling economy also induced massive retrenchments in private sector
-rising inequalities (the rich got richer while the poor got poorer as income differences widened)
The Educational Impact of ESAP
The economic downturn of the period of ESAP had severe effects on the education system
-school fees were reintroduced in urban primary schools as a cost-recovery measure (all secondary schools had remained fee paying)
-the introduction of school fees and increases in educational levies led to increased drop-out rates in both primary and secondary schools
-rise in numbers of street children, and children who beg and engage in vending to supplement family incomes
-gains in social equity and equality of educational opportunity were eroded
-the severe 1991/2 drought worsened the economic problems and further affected education adversely
-funding for education declined over the ESAP period (1989 – 25% of budget; 1990 – 18% of budget; 1994 – only 8.7% of budget)
-this led to deterioration of school facilities, reduction in school equipment (books, stationery etc.)
-the cost of education for families increased
-private elite schools developed (as rich families sought to protect their children from the poorly funded schools)
-conditions of service for public servants, including teachers, deteriorated
-critical staff was lost to the ‘brain drain’ that saw many people seeking greener pastures outside the country
All these factors negatively affected the education system.
Conclusion
Economic policies and developments in the economy have a direct effect on education. Educational problems cannot be considered in isolation. In addition, the effects of economic and other social/environmental factors on children’s morale and performance in school need to be understood by any conscientious teacher who has the interests of pupils at heart.
REFERENCES
Balleis, P. 1993. A Critical Guide to ESAP. Mambo Press: Gweru.
Kadenge, P.G. 1992. Zimbabwe’s Structural Adjustment Programme. SAPES: Harare.
Government of Zimbabwe. Budget Statements. 1990 – 1995.
Zvobgo, R.J. 1997. State, Ideology and Education. Mambo Press: Gweru.
POLICY AND EDUCATION IN ZIMBABWE
Policy: Some definitions
A policy has been defines as:
(a)any general guidelines for an organization which govern or seek to determine action
(b)“a plan of action, statement of aims and ideals, especially one made by a government, political party or a business company” (Hornby, 1974:644)
(c)a “desired course of action and interaction which is to serve as a guideline in the allocation of resources necessary to realize societal goals and objectives, decided upon and made publicly known by the legislator” (Hanekom, 1991:8)
A policy is therefore an intention, a guideline or a plan that directs the actions, processes and operations in an organization.
The Zimbabwean Government Policies on Education
After Independence, the Zimbabwean government introduced several educational policies meant to address the socio-economic and socio-political challenges facing the nation then. These challenges included inequalities in education and racial segregation in service provision. Education was also recognized by the new government as being central to national development.
Some educational policies
- Education for All
- this policy sought to provide education to every child regardless of race, creed or social status
-education was viewed as a basic right, and not as a privilege (especially primary school education)
-primary education was therefore made free
-the practice of automatic promotion was also introduced (every moved from one level to the next automatically)
-double sessioning (hot-seating) was introduced in overcrowded schools to enable greater numbers of children to be enrolled
-the eradication of illiteracy was a major goal
- Relevant Education
-this included efforts to make the curriculum relevant to the country
-the introduction of practical subjects was seen as important for pupils in a labour intensive economy like Zimbabwe
-content in various subjects was also reviewed to suit local needs and to emphasise local the context, e.g. in Geography & History
-the curriculum was made relevant to the Zimbabwean culture and to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic needs (e.g. skills development)
- Language Policy
-Although English remained the language of instruction, local languages were given some prominence and recognition
-instruction in early primary school was expected to take place mainly in the pupils’ mother tongue
-this policy, however, did not make local language the medium of instruction
Some programmes associated with the Educational Policies
(a)The ZINTEC (Zimbabwe Integrated National Teacher Education Course)
The programme was meant to:
-produce primary school teachers fast in order to alleviate the severe shortage of teacher in the expanded school system after Independence
-produce relevant teachers for the new Socialist society
-emphasise the practice of teaching in schools, rather than the learning of teaching theory in colleges
-reduce the use of temporary (untrained) teachers in the schools
(b)Education-with-Production (EWP)
Aims:
-to produce people with productive skills relevant to the Zimbabwean economy
-to marry theory with practice and train learners to appreciate this relationship in life activities
-to develop the spirit of self-reliance through the productive skills gained
-to promote national development through greater productivity
-to reduce unemployment, as school leavers would easily employ themselves and possibly employ others
(c)The Zim-Sci Project (Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project)
Aims:
-to make Science accessible to all children, especially to the children in poor rural secondary schools without proper science laboratories and science equipment
-to ensure the development of scientific attitudes and skills in all children
-to reduce the cost of teaching science through the supply of low-cost equipment and materials
Tasks and reflection:
(i)Read about the policies and the educational programmes described above and find out their successes and challenges in schools in your local area.
(ii)If you were to suggest a new educational policy for Zimbabwe, what would it be? Why should it be introduced? What problems are likely to be met in implementing it? How would such challenges be dealt to avoid failure of the policy?
REFERENCES
Anderson, J.E. 1994. Public Policymaking: An Introduction. Houghton Mifflin Co. Ltd.: Boston.
Chiwaro, S.D. & Manzini, M.M. 1995. Introduction to Policy Studies in Education. Centre for Distance Education: Harare.
Hanekom, S.X., Rowland, R.W. & Bain, E.G. 1987. Key Aspects of Public Administration. Southern Book Publishers: Pretoria.
Zvobgo, R.J. 1986. Transforming Education: The Zimbabwean Experience. College Press: Harare.
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