Zimbabwe Students Union Calls for Abolition of School Fees as New Term Begins

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has called on the government to urgently reinstate free education. The student body issued the statement as schools opened for the new term on Tuesday, the same day the union's demands were reported. ZINASU spokesperson Kimberley Timothy Joni said education had become a privilege reserved for the children of the elite.

"Education, which was once free in Zimbabwe after independence, a proud achievement of the liberation struggle, has been brutally commodified and turned into a privilege for the children of the elite," Joni said. The union stated that the combination of school fees, levies and hidden costs is excluding children from poorer households.

This exclusion is contributing to rising school dropouts, early marriages and increased drug and substance abuse among youths, ZINASU said.

ZINASU raised concern over overcrowded classrooms, shortages of learning materials and weak teacher morale attributed to low salaries and poor working conditions. AllAfrica reported that the union described the situation as producing a generation of semi-literate youth unprepared for the modern world.

The union pointed to neighbouring Zambia, which has recently moved to legally guarantee free education.

ZINASU demanded immediate reforms including the abolition of school fees, increased investment in school infrastructure, improved teacher recruitment and motivation, and the introduction of a modern skills-based curriculum. The union stated that free education must be restored by law and called for a quality, competitive and skills-based curriculum that equips youth with critical thinking, innovation, industrial and digital skills.

The statement was issued on 13 May 2026.

AllAfrica reported that ZINASU warned any delay could trigger sustained resistance, mass mobilisation and revolutionary pressure from students and communities. The student body reaffirmed that access to quality education remains central to Zimbabwe's long-term development. "Free education is our right.