Unravelling the Educational Conundrums of Children Learning in Zimbabwe’s Resettlement Areas

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate issues affecting the provision of primary school education in resettlement areas. The study adopted qualitative research design to collect data from sampled participants. Purposive sampling was used to select key informants while availability sampling was adopted to select children and parents. The sample included 5 teachers, 10 students (6 girls and 4 boys), 2 members of the School Development Committee (SDC) and 8 parents. Data was collected through the use of focused group discussions, in-depth and key informant interviews. The study showed that the provision of primary school education in resettlement areas was affected by intricacies of issues such as lack of material resources and basic infrastructure, long distance travelled by pupils, unsatisfactory teaching conditions and the negative attitude towards education by some parents. It was concluded that social, economic and political factors have a bearing on primary education provision in resettlement areas of Zimbabwe. This paper recommends that all stakeholders, including the government, civil society and the corporate world should support the provision of education in remote and marginalized resettlement areas.