Why raise tuition fees while salaries are stagnant: Zinasu

By Avoid Masiraha

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) condemns the failure by the government to honour its promises to pay bonuses and salaries to college lecturers of state institutions.

Following the call by Zimbabwe State Universities Union of Academics (ZISUUA) for state institutions lecturers and non-teaching staff to go on strike over unpaid bonuses and January salaries, the burden will be more harsh on the students who are paying exorbitant fees without realizing the value for their money.

The students feel the selective failure by the government to pay lecturers bonuses is a usual stance and confirmation of government’s unwillingness to fund the education sector which has been in tatters for over 15 years.

It is reasonably stupid and irrational to continue raising tuition fees while salaries are stagnant. The government must come to understand that education is equally important with other sectors and there is urgent need to graduate from the hoopla of being the best human capital in Africa to the provision of enough infrastructure that is continuously funded to create a robust education sector.

Moreso the case of lecturers confirms government lack of will to promote the education sector particularly looking at the 2015 budget which only received a paltry one million dollars.

After deliberations with the government over reintroduction of grants and loans students were shortchanged with a budget lower than that of the presidential scholarship which is pegged at 5 million dollars.

The salarygate scandal of 2014 which is ostensibly going on particularly in city councils was a tip of an iceberg that demands serious introspection particularly for the education sector.

It is the position of the students that there is gross mismanagement and embezzlement of funds hence ZINASU pushes for an audit of University chancellors ’and Deans salaries to ensure that funds are used specifically for the development of the sector.

The period of paying exorbitant tuition fees without realizing value for money must come to an end. This goes beyond lecturers but also the facilities at institutions which are never enough despite the high fees being paid each and every semester.

The case of Mary Mount Teachers College where first year students are having lectures outside is evidence enough of the existence of corruption in institutions.

The lack of enough accommodation against the increased enrollment by universities is again a case of a commoditized education sector where focus is now on making more money without addressing challenges being faced by the same students who grappling to pay these unfair fees.

Avoid Masiraha is the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) national spokesperson