Learners from Bulawayo’s Njube High school took to the streets Monday morning protesting against poor working conditions of teachers, which they said have affected the quality of their education.
The learners were comprised of Form One to Form Six classes, and during their protest were making stops -telling bystanders about their march and chanting slogans expressing their displeasure.
Teachers, who are poorly remunerated are demoralised, a sad situation, which has compromised learning at most public schools.
Both government and the rest of civil servants are in a salary deadlock with the latter demanding to be paid an equivalent of US$475.
The confident learners marched from Njube High school to Total fuel garage at Entumbane before returning to the school.
During the protests, the learners waved a portrait of President Emmerson Mnangagwa as well as placards written “Where is UN (United Nations)” and “This is for every Zimbabwean child.”
“We are worried about what is happening to the education sector,” one learner was overheard complaining.
Other learners could also be heard saying: “Our teachers, because of lack of adequate salaries, are no longer reporting for duty. Some are even selling macimbi for survival. They don’t come to class anymore. Our results are drastically dropping, that is a bad indication.”
Brian Mutsiba, a biology teacher at Njube High, who was with the learners, claimed the “children had initiated the march by themselves” to show their disapproval of the education system.
Mutsiba noted that the learners were expressing their feelings over their fundamental right to education.
“In Zimbabwe we have a certain generation which has been lost and we hope that this particular generation is going to speak out,” Mutsiba told CITE.
“They are showing resistance with no violence.”
The learners were later rounded up by the school headmaster, Zibusiso Msimanga who ordered them to go back to school.
