EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H.B.1, 2019]

Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Second Reading of the Education Amendment Bill.

Said Senator Rosemary Nyathi:

“I stand to add my voice on the Education Amendment Bill, particularly looking at Section 15 where it reads, “new section inserted after section 68 of Chapter 25:04.  I am interested at Section 68 (a) (5) where it is written, “under no circumstances is a teacher allowed to beat a child”.  

I want to put my argument to say, whilst the law cannot be written at long length, I think the clause ‘under no circumstance’ is a teacher allowed to beat a child because I am visualising a teacher who has students in a classroom.  The students misbehave and the teacher is left without any option of disciplining a child.  I am not saying disciplining is only by beating but I am saying, that Clause alone must be relooked into.  

Why I argue this fact, I am told that Zimbabwe is 80% Christians, therefore, I want to quote from the Bible.  I am quoting because I am told that one of the wisest men that ever lived on earth is Solomon.  I am told that Solomon used 10 to 12% of brain he was the wisest.  I just want to quote some few verses concerning disciplining with a rod that Solomon gave.  If you read from the book of Proverbs Chapter 23 verse 13, it says, “do not withhold correction from a child for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die”. 

Verse 14 says, “you shall beat him with a rod, you deliver his soul from hell’.  If the Bible says, when a child misbehaves, he must be beaten, who are we to argue with the Bible I stand to be corrected Mr. Speaker Sir.  

I think the Ministry of Education takes a long time to train a teacher and giving no opportunity for a teacher to discipline a child may also mean that we do not have confidence and trust in our Zimbabwean education system.  I think a teacher is a reasonable person who knows where a child must be beaten or where the child must not be beaten.  I think that clause ‘under no circumstances’ must be revised.  I also want to further discuss – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

Mr. Speaker Sir, I would also like to contribute on the same section but now looking at Section 68 (d) which says no pupil shall be excluded from school for non-payment of school fees.  I also feel that this Section needs to be re-looked into because not all schools are Government Schools.  

Some schools are private schools, and some are boarding schools.  You will agree with me that if one child is send to a boarding school, the parents of that child must pay school fees because at a boarding school, the child pays for his electricity, she pays for her food and her upkeep.  So, without paying of school fees, it means, we are rendering that school’s education non-viable.  I think that section must also be relooked into. 

Finally, on that same Section 68 (d), the last part of it says, ‘no pupil shall be excluded from school on the basis of pregnancy’.  I recommend that, this part also needs to be rephrased into and should read, when a child becomes pregnant at school, that child should be send home to go and give birth and nurture the child, after which she can be readmitted to our education system.   

If we pass such kind of a Bill, I am visualising a school where we have maybe 150 girls at a school and 50 are pregnant.  I visited some maternity homes where there are doctors and nurses who are specialised in looking after pregnant women; they are failing to cope up.  Now we want to transfer this duty to a school head and the teachers to look after the pregnant children at school.  

I am also visualising a situation whereby you have a girl child quite specialised in sports, come time for sports the child cannot train or participate or have a chance to represent, her school or her country because she is pregnant and she is in the yard of a school.  I think that also needs to be looked into.  That in itself shows that whilst we are trying to protect the education imbalance between the boy child and the girl child, it also then shows us that we are not serious when we are talking about early child marriages.  On the other hand, it is like we are encouraging early child marriages and on the other hand we are saying let us let our children get pregnant at school. 

I think those three areas that I have talked about need re-considering. I certainly give credit to the Portfolio Committee on Education for doing a great job, coming up with such a Bill, I however give recommendation that they must go back and amend these three sections.  It is our duty as Honourable Members to make sure that any Bill that passes through this Parliament must pass with utmost scrutiny and make sure that it is good for our generation and generations to come. 

Finally, Mr. Speaker Sir, I understand that our education system in Zimbabwe is working very well.  It is well looked up by many other countries.  Zimbabwe in matters of education and in matters of literacy is number one in Africa followed by Tunisia.  Why should we change things that are already working, replacing them with things that do not work?  I thank you.”