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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
PARLIAMENT has started countrywide public consultations on the Education Amendment Bill aimed at abolishing corporal punishment and ensuring that Government offers free compulsory basic education for children in line with the Constitution.
The Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education started the public hearings in Chinhoyi on Monday and is expected to be in Bulawayo next Monday.
Committee chairperson Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said consultations on the Bill would be conducted over a two week period countrywide.
“We have begun consultations on the Bill, the attendance was very good. Today (Monday) we were in Chinhoyi and various issues came up,” she said.
Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said among the key issues brought up by parents and stakeholders were resource allocation and corporal punishment.“
The most topical one was the issue of pregnancy, the Bill states that pregnant pupils should be allowed to continue with their studies as well as the issue of resource allocation to the Ministry by Government which places a burden on parents as they are too much.
“They also tackled the issue of corporal punishment and expressed mixed feelings as well as the issue of the Fund, what it actually means and how it will be working,” she said.
Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said the committee was on Tuesday set to hold consultations in Kariba in the morning before proceeding to Bindura this morning and later in the afternoon consult stakeholders in Marondera.
She said the committee will be in Mutare today and tomorrow morning it will be in Masvingo Province at Masvingo Civic Centre.
Next Monday April 15, public hearings will be conducted at Sibasa Hall in Filabusi, Matabeleland South in the morning before proceeding to Mabutweni Hall in Bulawayo on the same day.
The committee proceeds to Matabeleland North at Lupane Town Hall on Tuesday before wrapping up in Gweru on April 17 at the Gweru Civic Centre.
Cabinet approved the Education Amendment Bill in February and it was gazetted in the same month.
The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the right to a basic State-funded education, including adult basic education, the right to equality and non-discrimination and the right to language and culture.
The Bill is also expected to abolish corporal punishment. It also ensures that children that are also within a particular zone are not disadvantaged by those that come from other areas as they must be given priority.
It will also deal with the area of teaching of local languages and address the issue of teaching of children with disabilities including facilities to be availed to them.
“Every registered school shall provide infrastructure, subject to availability of resources, suitable for use by pupils with disabilities. The Secretary shall monitor and enter premises of every registered school for the purposes of ascertaining whether the rights of pupils with disabilities are taken into account during teaching and learning,” reads part of the amendments.
It also states that for the purposes of fees approval, the Secretary shall require every registered school to submit a plan highlighting how the school shall advance the rights of pupils with disabilities.
The Education Act will also ensure non-exclusion of pupils from school for non-payment of school fees or on the basis of pregnancy.
Free basic education was stopped during the early 1990’s at the height of Government’s Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) that witnessed massive reduction of funding for social services.
—@AuxiliaK
Online Reporter