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The government should improve its systems for monitoring schools in order  to combat corruption in the sector and enable all learners to have equal access to education.

The Zimbabwe Women Against Corruption Trust (ZWACT) director Sandra Matendere said the government should also address the issue of extra lessons which was fuelling discrimination against some learners.

“The issue of extra lessons is taking long to be addressed and we call upon the government to investigate and address corruption in the education sector,” she said.

Matendere also urged government to improve the working conditions and remuneration for teachers since they were cited as some of the push factors for corruption in the education sector.

She said equal access to education was continuously being restricted by barriers such as corruption.

“Without equal access to education and learning opportunities for all, it will be difficult to achieve gender equality, breaking the cycle of poverty and fight corruption which is a barrier for economic development,” she said.

“Teachers in public schools are demanding money for in-class extra lessons from learners, a move which is fuelling discrimination among learners. The level of inequality between learners coming from poor families and those coming from richer ones is widening.

“Attention is being given to those who afford paying and those who can’t afford are being deprived equal access to quality education. Parents are left at the mercy of these teachers as they will be forced to make the informal payments.”

Corruption remained a major threat to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal number 4 whose which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, said Matendere.

“The impact of education sector corruption is more severe because of its long term effects on learners. Education has the potential to transform people’s livelihoods, therefore it is important to have it accessible and affordable to everyone,” she said.

Matendere applauded the government for assisting vulnerable children through the Basic Education Assistance Module.

— New Ziana.