Don’t ban scripture union in Zimbabwean schools
By Peter Makotose
Not being one who comments on everything that goes on in the political circles, however I have realised that keeping quiet on critical matters is not a good thing to do. A friend of mine advised me that when one keeps quiet after seeing a wrong that makes him/her an accomplice.
In this case I don’t want to be an accomplice to the withdrawal of good moral teaching within the Zimbabwean schools and the opening up of our schools to be training grounds for foreign organisations that are against our well established morals, that I refuse and say not in my name.
I was very disturbed after receiving a whatsapp message that is circulating on social media indicating that one DR. Shingi Munyeza authored it. Zimbabwean papers have also carried the stories regarding the ban of Scripture union (SU) in Zimbabwean schools and the ban for churches not to use school premises for church services.
It is unfortunate that Dr. Munyeza did not give much detail about the identity of the purported organisations that are behind this move because it is my view that the readers and Zimbabweans at large would have benefitted a lot had Dr. Munyeza named the organisations that are said to be demanding the scrapping of SU in schools for the purpose of equality.
The naming of such organisations will have made it easier for readers to check their profiles and background. While working on this article I received another WhatsApp message that suggested that the Zimbabwean Minister of Education who is at the forefront of all these changes Dr. Lazarus Dokora is a Muslim and is working very hard on doing away with Christian teachings in Zimbabwe Schools.
I don’t have much knowledge on Minister Dokora’s religion but at the same time it is hard to throw away these suggestions going around in the social circles considering what the minister is doing regarding the teaching of Christianity in schools.
I am not worried about his religion because this is his right, freedom and choice as enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution. My worry is that if the Minister is doing this just because he wants to advance the beliefs and agenda of his own religion then that is an open abuse of power and against chapter 2; 9 (1b) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Abuse of power by any government official is not right and cannot be tolerated in any form or shape. My very little research has shown me that other countries in the Southern Africa region like Botswana and Zambia have had a review on how SU operates within the schools due to other groups taking advantage of the system and managed to introduce satanic morals in schools.
The review in other Southern African countries is not negative but positive, progressive and is meant to strengthen the teaching of good morals and protect the good work done by organisations like the SU by guarding against the penetration of other organisations with destructive agendas within the schools.
In the Zimbabwean case there seems to be nothing negative to be associated with the operations of SU for the past 70 years hence there could be any reason to ban the organisation. I might have missed on the events that have taken place in the country but I don’t remember reading anything negative about the operations or teachings of the SU in Zimbabwean schools and I am open for correction on this one.
Two theories are emanating from the media regarding the reasons why the Minister has made that directive;
- The introduction of the National Pledge in schools whereby pupils are supposed to swear allegiance to the government. While I do not want to delve in the pros and cons for the national pledge but my worry and concern is why is this taken as a substitute for Christian activities in schools? In the early 80s we sang Ishe komborera Africa at the school parade, while the flag was being hoisted and at the end of the day while the flag was being lowered, and come time for extra curriculum we will very much rejoice shouting our “up-up Jesus slogan”. The coincidence if not deliberate move seems to suggest that our government has suddenly become anti Christianity morals and do not want children taught Christian values in schools. This would surprise many Zimbabweans since the majority of the ministers in government are where they are today because of the presence of Christian missionaries in our country. I have grown up with an understanding that Zimbabwe is a Christian country and if the banning is a government position then that is a new and negative development in our society. The President of the country is a Christian and a beneficiary of the Christian system within the country and if ever there are people to oppose this move then his name must be the first on the list. I am not sure if the demands by the purported (infrastructure development) funders in our schools were made clear at the approval of the Zero Draft Curriculum Framework by Cabinet on the 26th of September 2015. The President has made a very loud noise about gay and lesbian practices in our country citing Christian morals i.e. God given morals and surely for him to make a U-turn and append his signature to or chairing a Cabinet meeting agreeing to polices that seek to eradicate the teaching of the same morals to our children is a complete chaos.
- The other reason being put forward and that needs further clarification to establish the facts but still making sense to a doubting Thomas, is that the Minister himself is a Muslim and has an agreement with a Muslim organisation which has promised to build schools in the country in return for equality within the education system i.e. Christianity not being allowed to operate within the schools. It is also reported that the Zimbabwean government has agreed to this idea since the Christian organisations are not injecting money to build schools in the country. If this is true then something is very wrong here because Christian organisations cannot be punished for the government’s failure to build schools. If they get funding from mars let it be but that must not be the reason to ban organisations such as the SU and poor churches renting school facilities for their services. The Zero Draft Curriculum Framework I have mentioned above has five pillars and one of which is the infrastructure development i.e. building schools and the provision of other resources to be used in schools. It is not a secret that our government is struggling even to raise pay for the teachers. Last year bonus is yet to be paid. Appearing before the Parliament Committee the Minister placed the duty on schools to find other means of raising funds but then goes on to ban the use of schools for church services which is another source of generating funds for the schools. One wonders what this is all about if not appeasing the purported funders’ demand for equality within the schools.
The practice of abolishing Christian practices in government institutions is taking place in so many countries including UK and USA where other groups and religions that are against Christianity are emerging. Non-Christian organisations are going to court to contest this long established practice in schools, councils and other places.
A court ruling in the UK has banned councils from including prayer on the council meeting agenda but the Judge made an interesting remark even though he went on to ban the prayers because of a technicality in the Local Government Act 1972.
Mr Justice Ousely rejected the human rights and equality challenges put forward by the Atheists and National Secular Society opposing groups, which according to the judgement, had it not been for the technicality the judgement could have gone the other way.
In Scotland a humanist group caused the ban of the distribution of a book by the Scripture Union complaining that some students may find it distressing (not that students found it distressing). The same problems are experienced in the United States.
I will not be surprised if this is happening in our country at the instigation of people who are against Christianity. People like our current minister of Education perfectly fit into the category of people fighting Christianity in the country.
The unfortunate thing is that Zimbabweans react slowly to some of these moves that are meant to take away their rights, privileges and benefits.
In Shona we say vanoyeuka bako vanaiwa and sometimes it’s too late to do anything to reverse the situation. There are other decisions that need a reaction there and there without waiting to see where the decision might take the nation to.
I was born in the middle of the liberation struggle and have grown to know this slogan “pasi navatengesi” although I do not agree with the “pasi” element of the slogan, I would rather prefer the “up-up” slogan as the one we were used to during our SU days. Mutengesi is a sell-out. The English dictionary defines sell-out as “a betrayal of one’s principles for reasons of expedience”.
If other nations are struggling with the effects of warming up to some of these organisations that appear to be generous and peace loving at the beginning but at the end show their ugly motives then Zimbabweans must be alert and ready to resist such moves.
The colonisation event must have taught Africa a lesson not to be repeated. If one is going to succumb to these baits and sign the country to such organisations then that person is a big mutengesi.
On the 3rd of May 2016, parents in England withheld their children from going to schools in protest of introduction of exams at various levels of Primary education saying that its too much for their children because their brains are not ready for the stresses that come along with exams. While I am not into the nitty gritties of the UK education system, but I applaud the parents for exercising their powers in order for their voices to be heard.
I am a religious Minister and a parent at the same time, if I sit down and watch this development without saying a word, then I am a big mutengesi wetsika nehunhu hwakafanira nyika yedu and the peace of our future generations.
If parents all over Zimbabwe sit down and wait for help from other continents to save their children from moral destruction and bulling directives from a Minister whom they have entrusted with the responsibility over the education of their children then they are selling-out big time.
If the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education allows people waving money but with vile motives to penetrate our education system and expose our children to strange beliefs then he is the biggest sell-out of them all.
If our Government approves such a move just because these foreigners have money to invest then the government is the author and administrators of moral decay in our country but I am happy that we have wise and well-meaning people within our government who can see this sinister move and stop it, and they better stop it.
What are we going to say to our grand children when they ask us what did we do when these moves to introduce strange cultures were being fanned within our society? I for one do not want to be part of this and let it be on record that I said no to such devious moves. May God bless our beloved country Zimbabwe.
