Listen to our Call for inclusive, quality and relevant education!
As the 2025 school year has started, let’s act together to ensure all Zimbabwean children can enjoy their right to inclusive, qualitative, and relevant education.
As the 2025 school year has started, let’s act together to ensure all Zimbabwean children can enjoy their right to inclusive, qualitative, and relevant education.
More than 7000 children assisted at the 2024 Regional World Children’s Day commemorations in November 2024 in Victoria Falls and advocated for the right to education for all children. At the event children presented to the Heads-of-State of Zimbabwe and six other countries from the region, a Call-for-Action for improved access to education for children and better and more relevant education. Moreover, they committed themselves to being agents of change and participating actively in improving the education system in Zimbabwe.
Ahead of the 2024 Regional World Children’s Day Government, UNICEF and partners consulted more than 800 girls and boys on child rights and education. More than 80 percent of children said they can and want to play a role in improving their school and education opportunities for all. But 44 per cent highlighted that school costs remain a burden for many parents and children. Nearly half of all children stressed that schools were not equipped to ensure inclusive education and to welcome children with disabilities.
Key Figures (Zimbabwe)
7,000 children assisted at the 2024 Regional World Children’s Day.
800 children participated in the national consultation on education.
80% of children want to participate in the organisation of their school.
44% of children say the school costs remain a burden for many parents.
Children say half of the schools are equipped to welcome children with disabilities.
16.9% of Government spending goes to primary and secondary education.
9 out of 10 primary-age children are in school.
10% of children with disabilities are in school.
Children build their Call-for-Action for a better education on the outcomes of the national children’s consultation on child rights and education. The children presented their Call-for-Action to the President of Zimbabwe at the 2024 Regional World Children’s Day commemorations. See the children’s Call-for-Action for a better education here.
The children’s Call for Action at the 2024 Regional World Children’s Day commemorations coincided with the 2024 African Union Year of Education. Time has now come to act on it. 2025 can be the year of implementing the children's suggestions to make education in Zimbabwe more inclusive, qualitative, and relevant so that every Zimbabwean child can enjoy their right to education and society can be empowered.
Free education is critical to providing access to learning for all children in the country. The Constitution of Zimbabwe requires all practical measures to be taken to promote free and compulsory primary education for children. The Education Amendment Act of 2020 further emphasizes that every child shall be entitled to mandatory primary state-funded education.
In 2025, the Government of Zimbabwe will invest 16.9 per cent of its expenses in primary and secondary education, below the engagement made at global forums to invest at least 20 per cent. UNICEF calls upon the Government to allocate 20 per cent of the national budget to education, in line with the Call-for-Action of children.
In Zimbabwe UNICEF works in close collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe and with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom and the Global Partnership for Education, funded by many partners including Canada, Sweden and the European Union, to increase the access to quality of education for all children.