Online Reporter
Kennedy Mapesa Mandaza
ZIMBABWE subscribes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), which are a collection of objectives set by the United Nations for the common good.
These goals seek to address a broad range of global challenges, that include good health and promoting well-being (SDG 3), obtaining quality education (SDG 4) and achieving gender equality.
Since independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has considered, among other things, the provision of education as critical for leap-frogging its economic growth and development.
The significant developments in the education sector are a product of efforts to safeguard children.
In this article, I highlight key issues affecting Zimbabwean schools. I also provide suggestions on how environments that are safe for learning can be strengthened, drawing from my experience as an educator and administrator in Zimbabwe, the region and abroad.
The concept of safeguarding learners encompasses the protection of children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and other forms of harm by ensuring that they have a safe and supportive environment to grow, learn and thrive.
In Zimbabwe, safeguarding schools is significant due to the unique challenges the country has been facing.
While some progress has been made in developing child protection laws and policies, the implementation and enforcement of such are still limited because of systemic and socio-cultural factors.
Among the key issues affecting Zimbabwean schools are gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual abuse.
Girls in rural schools are often vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation, early marriages and trafficking.
This includes sexual harassment by teachers, older learners and community members, as well as sexual abuse within homes or in the community.
Early pregnancies and child marriages are also of concern. They interrupt girls’ education and often expose them to further abuse and neglect.
In some rural areas, traditional and religious practices, and poverty drive the prevalence of child marriages, where girls are married off at young ages, often by their parents or guardians.
This practice undermines their right to education and exposes them to physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
In addition, adolescent pregnancies also contribute to high dropout rates among girls.
Many girls are either forced to leave school or face stigmatisation, making it difficult for them to return to school after childbirth.
Gender norms in some parts of Zimbabwe contribute to the vulnerability of girls in schools.
Harmful tradition
Harmful traditional and religious practices, such as expectations that girls should prioritise domestic responsibilities over education, further expose them to risks.
In many rural communities, towns and cities, children are often required to help with agricultural work or household chores, which may interfere with their education.
Child labour is essentially a barrier to school attendance. In some cases, children may be forced to drop out of school entirely to contribute to family income.
These practices interrupt girls’ education and often expose them to further abuse and neglect.
Sadly, teachers and other school staff, who are essential in identifying signs of abuse and intervening to protect vulnerable children, lack adequate training to handle the issues.
While there have been significant strides in building schools, many of them, particularly in rural areas, lack proper infrastructure, including safe classrooms, functioning sanitation facilities, safe playgrounds and secure boundaries.
These schools pose risks to learners’ physical safety, through collapsing buildings, unsafe toilets or dangerous playgrounds.
Schools need to ensure that the physical environment is safe and conducive to learning, with a focus on improving infrastructure to prevent accidents.
In rural Zimbabwe, girls face additional challenges related to menstrual hygiene, which can affect their participation in school.
Ensuring that there are safe, private and clean spaces for girls to manage their menstrual health is an essential component of their learning environment.
The lack of private and sanitary facilities can lead to absenteeism.
Mental health awareness
Another issue that needs attention in relates to mental health, which is a critical but often overlooked aspect of learning.
Children may face trauma, such as witnessing violence or loss of parents.
The absence of mental health support in such cases can lead to children internalising stress and trauma, which may hinder their academic performance and overall development.
Furthermore, emotional and psychological neglect can hinder a child’s ability to learn and participate effectively in school, creating long-term challenges for their overall well-being.
Therefore, protection in schools should include efforts to create a nurturing environment that supports the emotional well-being of children by establishing peer support programmes and involving older learners in looking out for younger ones while in school.
Corporal punishment
Even though corporal punishment was outlawed in Zimbabwe, bullying and physical punishment in schools remain problematic.
Some schools and parents still rely on corporal punishment as a form of discipline, which can be harmful and is abusive.
Peer bullying, particularly related to learners’ academic performance, physical appearance or social standing, creates an unsafe environment for many learners, leading to low self-esteem, absenteeism and in some cases, drop-outs.
While there are laws in Zimbabwe to protect children from abuse, many teachers, especially in rural areas, may not have the necessary training to identify or respond to signs of abuse or neglect.
Due to a lack of adequate training on child protection issues, teachers and other school staff fail to notice red flags and may not be able to support or report incidents of abuse appropriately.
To further compound the issue, both learners and parents may not be fully aware of their rights, the risks children face or the procedures for reporting abuse.
It is, therefore, imperative that schools and communities engage in awareness campaigns to ensure everyone understands what constitutes abuse and how to respond to it.
There is an urgent need for training of teachers and other school staff to equip them with skills to identify at-risk children, intervene effectively and refer cases to appropriate authorities or social services.
Child protection issues
Strengthening community involvement in schools can create a network of support around children, thereby promoting safety both inside and outside the classroom.
The protection of children from harm, neglect, abuse and exploitation, ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment, should be non-negotiable, and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and other relevant ministries and departments should pay greater attention.
It must be appreciated that the Government has made significant efforts to address child protection issues through measures like the Children’s Amendment Act (2023) and the Education Amendment Act (2020), which emphasise the protection of children from abuse and their right to education,
and align the laws with international standards.
However, these legal tools are not always fully implemented in schools, more so rural ones, due to logistical and resource constraints.
To enforce child protection laws in schools, efforts must be made to increase the availability of social workers and child protection officers in remote areas and to enhance collaboration between the education sector and law-enforcement agencies to ensure a unified approach when safeguarding children.
It is now critical for teacher training to include modules on child protection, mental health awareness and how to create safe learning environments.
Additionally, training should cover the legal framework related to child rights and safe spaces.
Furthermore, since child protection is an ongoing process, teachers need continuous professional development opportunities to stay updated on the best practices for child safety.
In line with international best practices, those who work with children should be vetted or screened periodically by either the relevant ministry or teaching profession regulatory authority.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should develop clear standard policies and protocols that outline procedures for preventing and responding to abuse.
The policies and protocols should include steps for reporting abuse, supporting victims and working with local authorities.
They should also define the roles and responsibilities of teachers, parents and community leaders in safeguarding children.
Schools should establish child protection committees which can help ensure that the policies are consistently followed.
These committees can include teachers, parents, learners and community members, all working together to maintain a safe environment.
Equally critical for protection is the improvement of school infrastructure.
This includes addressing issues such as broken furniture, unsafe playgrounds, poor sanitation and inadequate lighting.
Schools should ensure that the premises are secure and conducive for learning.
Furthermore, continuous monitoring of infrastructure should be done by the relevant department, especially now that there are numerous private and unregistered schools mushrooming across the country.
Collaboration and engagement among local authorities, schools and service providers is an integral component in strengthening safeguarding.
Such collaboration is essential in identifying and addressing safe spaces issues.
Schools should establish clear referral pathways for reporting cases of abuse or neglect to the relevant authorities to ensure a timely and coordinated response.
The strengthening of partnerships with child protection agencies (both Governmental and non-governmental), which provide expertise in managing complex cases and offer counselling or rehabilitation services to affected children, can help schools access resources and support for at-risk learners.
Awareness campaigns for learners and parents on children’s rights are also
crucial.
Learners should be deliberately informed about what constitutes abuse, how to report it and whom to approach if they are in danger.
Schools can also integrate child protection themes into the curriculum, by offering a safe space for open dialogue.
In rural areas, where traditional norms may undermine child protection, raising awareness among parents and local communities is critical.
This can be done through community workshops on child rights, the importance of education and the risks children face, including child labour, early marriage and sexual abuse.
Tackling GBV is an important aspect of moulding responsible learners.
It is important to recognise that gender inequality is a significant concern in Zimbabwe, and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse, early marriage and exploitation.
Schools need to have targeted programmes to prevent and address GBV, such as anti-harassment policies, counselling services and gender sensitisation programmes.
This can involve engaging boys and men in discussions about respecting gender equality and non-violence.
TheNhanga/Gota initiative
The Nhanga/Gota initiative by the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, is an essential component of a broader approach for the establishment of safety protocols, which schools and communities can ride on to promote the value of education for girls and to empower them to resist harmful practices like child marriage.
Psychosocial support has become an important part of educational institutions in developed countries for the strengthening of child mental health and well-being.
Many children, especially in rural areas, face emotional and psychological challenges due to trauma, poverty or loss of family members.
The establishment of dedicated mental health support systems in schools, including counselling services, can help safeguard the well-being of learners.
There should be a deliberate and sustained thrust in creating a culture of vigilance and shared responsibility for the protection of children, which can lead to more safety outcomes.
In conclusion, the creation of safe spaces in schools requires a holistic, collaborative and context-specific approach.
Needless to say, these efforts must be sustained and adaptable to the changing needs of children, especially in rural areas where the challenges are often more pronounced.
Kennedy Mapesa Mandaza is an academic with vast experience in the education sector in Zimbabwe, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
