The Contribution of Private Colleges to Education In Zimbabwe
Private Colleges are applauded for offering education services to several children who could not be accommodated in the government and council-run schools because of overcrowding. In addition to broadening access to education, private colleges have also introduced an element of diversification.
There is a serious need for the government, educational planners, policy-makers and policy implementers to be alert and knowledgeable about the existence of private colleges for prudent educational planning. The Education Ministry should be clear on the operations of private colleges to give direction and guidance.
Private Colleges are applauded for offering education services to several children who could not be accommodated in the government and council-run schools because of overcrowding. In addition to broadening access to education, private colleges have also introduced an element of diversification. This involves having high levels of flexibility regarding learning timetables and the number of subjects per student. This enables students to specialise in their areas of interest.
Harare Province, Zimbabwe's largest and fastest-growing urban settlement provides the most fertile ground for a thorough investigation into the contribution, both negative and positive, of private colleges to education. Harare has a high concentration of both the old private colleges and the newly established institutions. While the city centre hosts most old private colleges, residential areas have become the main attraction for the newly established private colleges.
List of Private Colleges in Harare
Names of Private Colleges
Speciss College
Herentals College
B & P College
Central African Correspondence College
Ranch House College
Zimbabwe Distance Education College
PACE College
People????s College
Trust Academy
Maranatha Private College
Education in Zimbabwe and Private Colleges
The hallmark of education policy in Zimbabwe is enshrined in the supreme law of the land. Article 75 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, focuses on the right to education. It explains that ????Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to a basic state-funded education, including adult basic education; and further education, which the State, through reasonable legislative and other measures, must make progressively available and accessible.
The education system in Zimbabwe now consists of two distinct categories. First is Primary and Secondary Education. Second is Higher and Tertiary Education. Primary education is now nine years in Zimbabwe. This includes two years of early childhood development known as ECD ????“???? and ECD ????”???? and then seven years from Grade One to Grade Seven. A national examination under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council [ZIMSEC] is conducted in the final year of primary, which is Grade Seven. The Grade Seven Certificate determines entry into secondary education.
Secondary education in Zimbabwe is six years. The first four years end with students sitting for ordinary-level national examinations, also managed locally by the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council. An Ordinary Level pass of at least five subjects at Grade C or better determines entry into Advanced Level which has Lower Sixth Form and Upper Sixth Form or entry into a college for diploma courses or university for degree programmes. The Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council also manages the national examinations at the Upper Sixth Level, which determines entry into colleges for diploma courses or universities to take up degree programmes.
Higher and tertiary education is done at colleges and universities. Teacher training colleges, polytechnics and agricultural colleges offer mainly certificates and diploma courses ranging from one to four years, combining theory and practical work. Universities offer degree programmes ranging from three to four years at ”achelors???? level. Two to two and a half years for master's???? Degree programmes and three to five years for Doctoral programmes.
Is the location of the private colleges conducive to effective teaching and learning?
The case study revealed that most private colleges are located in residential areas especially high and middle-density suburbs of ZimbabweȂs capital, Harare. However, there are some private colleges that are located in the central business district and outskirts of the city centre specifically in industrial areas. The premises for private colleges are normally approved by local government authorities and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as conducive for the establishment and operation of private colleges. Kuenne ǻŘŖŗŖǼ, in ȃPrivate Education and Entrepreneurship in East “frica.Ȅ “ Case Study of private schools in Kibera, argues that the ideal location for private colleges in order to achieve effectiveness in teaching and learning, should be away from heavy industrial sites to ensure safety and security of learners. The noise, chemical emission, industrial vehicles, heavy duty and multi-task machinery all have negative effects on environment for effective teaching and learning.
health care centres, business and shopping complexes and efficient water, sanitary and
Is the curriculum offered by private colleges comparable to that offered by mainstream schools?
The case study revealed that private colleges followed the curriculum approved by the Government through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. However, 90 % of the private colleges under this study offer other curriculum aspects outside the national curriculum such as the University of Cambridge curriculum and Hexco curriculum. 100% of the colleges said they do not teach culture, heritage and national history. In addition, the study shows there is heavy concentration on academic subjects at private colleges. Learners pay per subject and they have more flexibility to choose the subjects they want to study.
Do the private colleges avail adequate resources to learners for effective and
The study shows that private colleges are negatively affected by limited financial resources in the effort to avail adequate resources to learners for effective and efficient teaching and learning. Lack of adequate land and space are other impediments to the provision of adequate resources to learners for effective and efficient teaching and learning. However, private colleges under study show that they are able to allocate adequate time for all subjects per day, per week, per month and annually, to enhance effective and efficient teaching and learning. Nziramasanga (2001), argues that time is an important resource in the field of education. Time must be well managed through clear-cut time-tables that are used with strict discipline and effective and efficient supervision, to ensure every subject is allocated adequate time to the maximum benefit of the learner. Every subject Swartz (2013), argues that learning media, instruments, ideal infrastructure including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computers, health, water and sanitary facilities as well as qualified teachers are vital resources that must be adequately availed to learners for effective teaching and learning. Mabodile (2001), emphasizes the importance of investing teacher development as a pre-requisite for effective teaching and learning.
Do the private colleges employ properly qualified teachers for all the subjects? The study shows private colleges employ unqualified staff that includes those who recently finished their ȁ“Ȃ level and those who have a degree in another field that is not education. This can be attributed to Education entrepreneurs who are accused of taking purely business approach with a thrust of lowering costs, in their process disturbing plans to recruit qualified teachers for effective and efficient teaching and learning. This is against the view of UNICEF (2013). UINCEF (2013), which has injected millions of dollars in teacher training in Zimbabwe, says investing in the teacher is the best strategy 
for ensuring quality education through effective and efficient teaching and learning. On
Are the private colleges making a positive or negative impact to education in
Academic Performance
Nziramasanga (2015) argues that private colleges employ low teacher-learner ratios and are able to give maximum attention to learners to maximize on effective and efficient teaching and learning. Provision of exercises, revision sessions, remedial lessons, supervision and feedback provision for both the learner and the teacher makes it easier, to influence academic performance positively. Mandaza (1989) and Zvobgo (2001), point out that private colleges use the business approach to get the desired results. Low teacher-learner ratios and the highest concentration on academic work results in high pass rates on small learner numbers as compared to formal schools where there is high teacher-learner ratio and high learner numbers per class.
New Form of Education
Nziramasanga (2015), argues that private colleges have brought a new form of education into the Zimbabwean education system, bringing in more flexibility, purely business approaches and high level thrust on academic subjects. Private colleges accommodate more readily those learners who will have failed to get places in the formal system giving them a chance to fulfill dreams in education.
Access to Education for Liberation War Leaders
Ribeiro (2015) argues that private colleges gave the liberation war heroes and heroines vital education, with which to craft strategies and policies right from the war zones into independent Zimbabwe. The majority of the present top leadership of the President Robert Gabriel Mugabe administration are beneficiaries of private education, which they used fruitfully to address colonial imbalances in Zimbabwe at independence from
Filling the Gaps
Ncube and Tshabalala (2012), argue that private colleges have come in to help broaden access to education, filling the gaps where the government is constrained by limited financial resources because of highly competing national demands at a time when demand for education is continuously increasing at fast pace. As more and more urban settlements get established, the need for more educational institutions becomes critical.
The government has turned to motivating private players to increase their investments
Promoting Education for All
Zvobgo (2001) and Mandaza (1989), argue that private colleges have also contributed significantly to enhancing the government policies of adult education, compulsory primary education and education for all. Private colleges have also immensely contributed to the countryȂs status of attaining the highest literacy and numeracy rates in Africa. Thousands of people in Zimbabwe have been able to acquire the requisite five Ordinary Levels, for entry into Advanced Level as well as colleges and apprenticeship training, because of the flexibility of private colleges which allow learners to study for less than five subjects.
Promoting Higher and Tertiary Education
The same can be said for Advanced levels subjects which are a basic entry into universities and colleges as well as critical apprenticeship training in Zimbabwe. There are now 16 universities in Zimbabwe are now filled with learners from both private colleges and the formal schools.
Negative Impact
Failure to Promote National Curriculum
Nziramasanga (2015), however, argues that private colleges make a negative contribution to the education system in Zimbabwe, through their teaching of foreign curriculum, failing to prioritise the national curriculum. Private colleges fail to give prominence to Zimbabwean culture, heritage and national history education. Mafa (2012), says private colleges are doing a dis-service to the country by failing to offer inclusive education, paying no attention to people with disabilities. Ncube and Tshabalala (2012), point out that private colleges have a tendency of focusing on profit- making and entrepreneurship at the expense of quality, effectiveness and efficiency in teaching and learning. Sometimes private colleges go for cost-cutting measures that include employing unqualified teachers, in the process compromising education standards and quality.
Therefore, private colleges are making a positive contribution to the education system in Zimbabwe through reaching out to those areas which have great need of education sources specifically the high density areas. However, in their efforts to service the education needs of the population, they face challenges in matching the universally accepted standards of a normal school environment while some of the
Robson Mhandu1, Ignatius Isaac Dambudzo
Zimbabwe Open University, Harare, Zimbabwe
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