Students threaten class boycotts over high tuition fees

By Lance Guma
02 February 2007

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has issued a statement threatening a class boycott if the government fails to withdraw controversial tuition fee increases. Government increased fees between 300% and 2000% depending on the courses. The students body have given 13th February as the deadline for their demands to be met saying they will begin class boycotts on the 14th of this month. According to research undertaken by ZINASU more than 31% of the student population has dropped out from college since February 2006, when government began to roll out a spate of tuition fee increases.

The student body’s National Executive Council (NEC) met on Friday and amongst other demands called on the government to allocate 26% of the national budget to education, in line with recommendations by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). ‘Everyone has a right to education. The fees being charged in all the colleges in Zimbabwe are a clear insult to our parents; most of them are poor peasant farmers and civil servants who are living way below the poverty datum line,’ Promise Mkwananzi the ZINASU president told Newsreel.

He says students are also clearly aware the bulk of their problems are political and that only under a new, people driven constitution could things change in the country. ZINASU meanwhile expressed its support for the strike by the doctors, nurses and teachers adding that although they sympathised with the patients who are suffering, those on strike had legitimate grievances.