The Impact of the Economic Meltdown on the Education System of Zimbabwe

The right to education has been enshrined in a number of international treaties and is regarded as a fundamental social, economic and cultural right. Access to education particularly schooling is a mechanism through which all people can integrate into mainstream society and a means through which they can exercise social, economic and cultural rights. According to Christies (1991) education produces knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. It is essential for civic order and citizenship and for sustainable economic growth and the reduction of poverty. Education is also about culture; it is the main vehicle for disseminating the accomplishments of a group of people. It encompasses general skills such as language, science, mathematics and communication that provide the foundation for further education and training. Education also includes the development of values and attitudes necessary for meaningful contribution and participation in civic life. These multiple purpose make education a key area for human rights in all countries. In fact, the right to education is accepted internationally and enshrined in major international conventions and many national constitutions including our own (Zimbabwe’s) constitution. It therefore, becomes a very disturbing phenomenon, to observe that Zimbabwe’s education standards are falling down at an alarming rate, thereby, negating the noble objectives of this service (education). It is a fact that a multiplicity of factors contributed to this deterioration of standards. However, it is this writer’s contention that the economic meltdown the country was experiencing was the main cause of falling standards in the education sector. This hypothesis or conjecture had to be empirically tested and this is exactly what the research project set out to do. The study used the descriptive survey research method. It was carried out in two urban provinces, three rural provinces as well as three farming provinces. The sample consisted of 304 responds of which 49 percent were male and 51 percent female. The bulk of the information was collected through the questionnaire and some collected through interviews. For the quantitative data, descriptive statistical analysis was used to interpret data and for qualitative data, similar and related responses were recorded and discussed.