Hope or Despair: Mooting the Situation of Children Learning in Satellite Schools in Binga District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The role played by government in education in post-colonial Zimbabwe is impressive compared to other African countries. Despite this remarkable contribution, the creation of satellite schools in rural areas was greeted with misgivings. The article reveals the major challenges faced by children learning in satellite schools in Binga District. Using mixed research design, 150 children aged above 13 participated in the survey in a quest to understand their educational circumstances. The children were selected using simple random sampling while 10 teachers and 10 parents were selected using purposive sampling. Although the majority considered the establishment of satellite schools as a hope towards educational access among rural children, the current state of schools is very disquieting. Dilapidated infrastructure, acute shortage of resources, long distances travelled to school and persistent school dropouts were major challenges, among others, besetting children in remote satellite schools. To mitigate the situation, participants suggested various strategies including community resource mobilisation, educational awareness campaigns, national flexible education policies, and more complimentary funds from donors or other stakeholders. This study established that, although the establishment of satellite schools was indispensable, the current state of such schools has brought more despair than hope in Zimbabwe’s rural education system.