In Zimbabwe, about two-thirds of school age children go to school. Access to, as well as the quality of, their education is often related to where they live. Children in rural and remote areas struggle to access education, as do children with disabilities and children from families who cannot afford school fees.
Other challenges include under-resourced schools, lack of infrastructure and the effects of disasters on infrastructure. Poor learning outcomes also influence a family's decision on whether to send their child to school.
GPE is supporting the government and partners to achieve transformational change through Zimbabwe’s priority reform area: equitable access to relevant quality education for all children.
Increasing the number of schools with safe and appropriate infrastructure, establishing a system to identify children at risk of dropping out, improving foundational literacy and numeracy for learners, and enhancing teachers’ capacity to deliver quality education will help get more children into school, prevent dropout and improve learning outcomes.
Key to achieving change at scale is Zimbabwe's equitable financing commitment, targeting funding to the poorest and most marginalized schools.