COMMENT: Education is a right, not a privilege

Education is a fundamental human right, enshrined in both international conventions and national laws. Government has, on several occasions, warned school authorities against denying learners access to education on the basis of non-payment of fees, as such practices violate children’s constitutional rights.

It is illegal for schools to chase away pupils or bar them from registering for examinations due to outstanding fees. Denying learners the opportunity to sit for public examinations undermines the fundamental right to education and contradicts the spirit of inclusivity and equal opportunity.

While schools argue that fees are necessary to sustain operations and maintain infrastructure, the reality is that punitive measures disproportionately affect vulnerable learners. In some instances, these actions amount to undue pressure on families already facing economic hardship.

In this week’s edition, we report that parents in Kezi, Matobo District, have raised concerns after debt collectors reportedly camped at a local Government school, allegedly harassing struggling families while charging additional collection fees and blocking some pupils from registering for their O-level examinations.

The dispute centres on Sontala Secondary School, where parents allege that an acting head engaged private debt collectors to recover outstanding school fees.

The move has sparked outrage, with families claiming that the collectors are demanding an additional 34 percent collection fee on top of the original debt and threatening to confiscate livestock from those who fail to pay.

Several parents further claim that the debt collectors have taken over the school’s accounts office and are refusing to allow pupils with outstanding balances to register for examinations administered by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec).

Being barred from registering for examinations due to unpaid fees can have serious psychological consequences for learners. It may lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment and low self-esteem, and can create a sense that they are being punished for circumstances beyond their control.

Such experiences often result in reduced motivation, disengagement from academic activities and negative attitudes towards school. The stigma associated with being denied access to examinations can also affect learners’ relationships with their peers, making reintegration into the classroom difficult once the matter is resolved.

Using children as leverage in fee disputes is a morally questionable practice. Schools that send learners home over unpaid fees effectively place the child’s education at the centre of a financial disagreement between parents and school authorities.

This approach not only punishes the learner but may also create unnecessary tension within communities.

Parents, particularly those from low-income households, often struggle to meet school fee obligations due to poverty, unemployment or illness. In such circumstances, rigid enforcement measures can deepen hardship and exacerbate the cycle of poverty.

While the payment of school fees is important for the smooth running of institutions, there is need for dialogue, transparency and mutually agreed payment arrangements where families face genuine financial difficulties. Education authorities and school leadership structures should ensure that financial disputes do not compromise learners’ constitutional rights.

As the nation continues to prioritise access to education and inclusive development, schools are encouraged to explore humane and lawful mechanisms for debt recovery that do not infringe on learners’ rights.

Education remains the cornerstone of national development, and no child should be deprived of the opportunity to learn or sit for examinations because of financial challenges faced by their parents.