HARARE - Banengi abantwana abangenelisi ukuphutsha izifundo ngenxa yabazali abahluphekayo. Abacubungula njalo abakwezemfundo bathi manengi amankazana atshiya izifundo eZimbabwe okwedlula abafana.
Ugwalo olwakhitshwa nyakenye yinhlanganiso elwela amalungelo abantwana, eyeUnited Nations Children's Educational Fund, lwaveza ukuba abasakhulayo abangafika isilinganiso sengxenye kukhulu - 47%, babengahambi esikolo ngenxa yobuyanga, kanye lobunzima obalethwa ngumkhuhlane weCOVID-19.
Inhlanganiso le yakubeka sobala kugwalo lolu ukuba amankazana ayethwele nzima kungakaqhamuki umkhuhlane lo. Abanye babefika kuGrade 7, kuphelele khonapho kuthi abalenhlanhla befike kuForm 4. Balutshwana ababefunda bedlule isigabe sika Form 6.
UNkosikazi Janet Nkomo, ohlala eLower Gweru, uthi kulezizatho ezinengi ezenza abantwana bengaphutshi izifundo.
"Kwesinye isikhathi ubuyanga benza abantwana ukuthi bengenelisi ukuqhubeka ngemfundo yabo kuthi njalo umango abawuhambayo ukuya ezikolo, ulakho ukubisela emuva abantwana. Lasezikolo zakhona zasemakhaya ngezinye izikhathi, ziyabe zingela okwanela izifundi ukuthi zifunde zikhululekile. Kubuye njalo ukwenda abantwana bebancane, ngesinye isizatho esitshiyisa laba bantwana isikolo."
Lokhu kugcizelelwa nguNkosikazi Bongiwe Dube, owenhlanganiso yeCommunity Youth Development Trust, esebenza labatsha eMatabeleland South.
"Ezigabeni zasemakhaya, umntwana ongumfana lokhe eqakathekiswa ukwedlula oyinkazana, okwenza atholiswe ithuba lokuyafunda ukwedlula inkazana. Yikho kulesidingeko esikhulu, ikakhulu ebadaleni abahlala endaweni lezi, ukuthi bafundiswe ukuthi abantwana bayafana, njalo akula msebenzi ongathiwa ngowomfana kumbe ngowenkazana. Abazali labo kumele baboniswe ukuthi abantwana abangamantombazana kumele beqhubekele phambili, bengacini izifundo zabo kuGrade 7 kumbe kuForm 4, kodwa baye emaUniversity kanye lasemisebenzini etshiyeneyo."
Umqeqetshi wenhlelo kunhlanganiso yababalisi eyeProgressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe koBulawayo, uMnumzana Vusumuzi Mahlangu, uthi uhulumende ulomlandu wokwakha izikolo ezenela abafundi.
"Izikolo ezinengi emaphandleni zikhatshana, okudala ukuthi abantwana abangamantombazana bengayenelisi ukuyafunda. Kuyadingeka ukuthi uhulumende abone ukuthi bonke abantwana, abafana kumbe amankazana, balezikolo eduze, ukuze bayenelise ukuthola imfundo. Umthwakazi laye kumele atshiyane lokwehlukanisa umntwana ongumfana loyinkazana, ngoba bayafana, njalo kumele batholiswe amathuba afanayo."
Kodwa isikhulumeli sogatsha lwezemfundo, uMnumzana Taungana Ndoro, uthi uhulumende uzama konke okusemandleni akhe ukuthi wonke umntwana ayenelise ukuya esikolo, kungenani lokuthi ngumfana kumbe yinkazana. Uthi loba amankazana engazithwala kumbe engatshada, imithetho yelizwe iyabavumela ukuqhubekela phambili ngemfundo yabo.Ingcwethi ecubungula indaba zabantwana njalo efundisa eLupane State University, uMnu. Mbulisi Ndlovu, uthi emakhaya kusilela ulwazi lokuthi abantwana bazatholani bengaphutsha izifundo zabo.
"Into okuthiwa yi Career Guidance iyasilela, mina ngayibona ngawami amehlo. Kumele kube lama Career Days agoqela izikolo zonke zasemakhaya, abantwana bafundiswe ukuthi imisebenzi abangayenza yileyi laleyi. Abanengi abakwazi ukuthi minengi imisebenzi abangayenza ngaphandle kwaleyi abayibonayo eyokuba ngotitshala kumbe amapholisa."
UNdlovu uthi kulabanye obenkolo ezitshiyeneyo abaphazamisa ezemfundo.
"Imfundiso eziqinileyo emabandleni alemikhuba efana lokuthi umntwana kuyathiwa kumele ayendiswe, kazibe khona, ukwenzela ukuthi laba bantwana bayefunda. Ingani sesike saba lamabandla ayala ukuthatha amajekiseni kodwa uhulumende lezinye inhlanganiso zingenele, sabona lawa mabandla sebesamukela amajekiseni. Ngendlela efanayo, masingeneni emabandleni wonalawo, sikulungise ukuthi umntwana kaphiwe ilungelo lakhe lokufunda aze ayefika lapho afuna khona."
Inkokheli yekhomithi ebona ngemfundo yaphezulu edale lephalamende, uNkosikazi Lindiwe Maphosa, uthi idale lephalamende lalo lilomlandu omkhulu okubona ukuba abantwana bafunda ngemfanelo.
"Kumele kubekwe imithetho encedisa abantwana ukuthi bengatshiyi isikolo endleleni. Inhlelo ezifana leBEAM zinhle kakhulu, kodwa yikuthi zithatha abantwana abalutshwane. Kumele uhulumende athathe amanye amanyathelo okufundisa abantwana abaswelayo. Kumele njalo kube lemithetho eqinileyo yokubopha abantu abathatha abantwana bebancane."
Umthetho weEducation Act, owalungiswa ngomnyaka ka2020, uvumeza amankazana azithweleyo kumbe abasemendweni ukuthi benelise ukuqhubeka ngezifundo zabo. Kodwa abanye bakuleli kabathabi ngalumthetho besithi ulakho ukufuqela abantwana ukuthi bengene kwezemacansini.