adminWith the pressure of exams piling on most students, privileged parents opt to send their children for extra lessons so that they can understand better on a one-on-one basis with teachers. However, some students feel cheated because the same teacher will have more efforts directed to the paying students than those who cannot afford. Sometimes these lessons are done at the school and some at the teachers’ houses where the environment is friendly. We asked the students whether this is fair or not and if the practice should go on.
I think learning should be the most affordable thing in the whole world and people should not make that change even for a day. The issue of others going ahead to have extra lessons that are costly and not afforded by other students should be shunned, I take it as daylight robbery because the other students’ right are being infringed.
Ropafadzo Muchingambi, 17, Mkoba 3 High School
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Extra lessons should be compulsory among students. Our teachers must not ignore potential students just because they can not afford to pay for extra lessons. Having extra lessons whilst others are absent disadvantages the poor who are expected to perform the same way come examination time.
Edith Mubare, 19, Mabelreign Girls High
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Extra lessons should go ahead because during class time our level of understanding differ completely, but all the same students who cannot afford to pay for them must not be treated the same way. Our teachers should then make it their point that students need to be treated differently.
Kundai Njelele, 15, Cheziya High School
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The idea behind extra lessons was to help slow learners but these days our teachers are taking advantage of it to further the syllabus, which is wrong. This move is so discouraging to other students who cannot pay for these lessons, therefore I suggest they be banned or made affordable to every student.
Kudzaishe Kabanya,17, Kotwa High School
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Extra lessons should be allowed regardless of who affords or not because they boost a subject or school’s pass rate. Parents should thrive to make their children go through these lessons. They should play their role. It is not like they are paying a lot of money, they should save for our education.
Liossa Mudhala, 16, Victoria
College
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I think extra lessons should be a common thing among students and not disadvantaging others who are less privileged. Our teachers and parents should come up with a payment plan so that we are allowed to learn and then they pay later because all efforts are now targeted toward this way of learning
Ruvimbio Kahuni, 19, Ezekiel Guti Community College.
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We are all growing up to become responsible adults one day, so our parents should try by all means to save money for our education and if extra lessons are the in thing, then they should pay for us. No child should be sidelined because he or she cannot afford the lessons, our teachers and school authorities must improvise.
Anastasia Yona,15, Victoria
College
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I think there should a plan to allow every student to have extra lessons because this is where more time and teachers’ efforts are being applied. Those who cannot afford should be also be included so that they will not lag behind with the syllabus.
Beatrice Marimo, 16, Hatfield Girls High School
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To say extra lessons should go on without the consent of those who cannot pay is a harsh decision for most of the students. Education should be for all and the cheapest thing to attain especially in Zimbabwe but by giving it only to those who can afford is parallel to the whole idea. Everyone should be equal at school.
Jairosi Nyamayaro,19, Ezekiel Guti Community College
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I think our teachers are now after money than our education. Saying that extra lessons should go on with or without involving students who cannot pay is rather a way to place students in an inferior complex. Our parents should be the ones suffering not us the students who have the right to education like anyone else.
Desire Magwede, 18, Eagle’s Eye Christian College
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Extra lessons are a waste of money to some parents but to us the students they help us become more experienced with the work we do repeatedly. I think these lessons must be made affordable to every student because we cannot go without them.
Zvikomborero Muzambi, 17, Harare High School
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Lessons should be equal to all students and what is taught at extra lessons should not be different from the normal lessons. No student must be disadvantaged when it comes to education because it is not by choice to be poor. It must be known that our parents have other priorities and responsibilities and not to make other students pass and some fail because they do not attend extra lessons.
Talent Tundu,18, Craneborne Boys High School
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We want to be treated with the same yard stick whether we attend extra lessons or not, our teachers want extra money, but that should not make us suffer more when examinations come. Extra lessons should be just a repeat of what we could have covered on a subject and not to further the syllabus, they should be done in a reasonable manner that does not affect the less privileged. I am not in support of them.
Milda Mudenda, 19, Nyamhunga High School
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Online Reporter