Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
By Zimrights
21 March 2012
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), yesterday the 20th of March 2012, appealed to the Minister of Education, Art, Sport and Culture Honourable David Coltart to introduce human rights education in the Zimbabwean school curriculum.
The National Director, Mr Okay Machisa, made the call during the launch of a book, published by ZimRights,  entitled “The state of the Zimbabwean Education Sector in the 21st Centuryâ€, where the Minister was the guest of honour. The call resonates with the Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI)’s global request on this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which is observed annually on the 21st of March (today). The YHRI invited all its supporters and volunteers “to organize petition drive to implement human rights education into the school curriculum so that our youth learn their human rights†and arguing that when young people know what their human rights are, they become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace.
The organisation, through the chairperson, Mr Everson Ndlovu also appealed for HIV and AIDS to be added on board so as to raise awareness on the pandemic. Matebeleland North was given as a particular area where there is very little knowledge on the pandemic and its associated life threatening effects.
Responding to a number of questions raised pertaining to the subject, Honorable David Coltart, acknowledged that there were some irregularities in the operations of the Ministry of Education adding that the ministry has since made submissions to Parliament on its five year recovery plan which cabinet is expected to deliberate on.
The publication that was launched was a collaboration between ZimRights and other individuals including, Okay Machisa, Dr Bornface Chisaka, Professor Fred Zindi, Professor Chiromo, Professor Moyana and Professor Gudyanga among others. All the authors of the book were in attendance except for one, Dr Munyaradzi Alexander Zeyengeya, who passed on before the product was ready for consumption.
According to Zimrights, the publication was born out of the genuine need to contribute to the discourse and development of the education system in Zimbabwe that has, due to a decade long of political and economic irregularities, ended up in limbo. It explores the development of the country’s education sector; highlighting all the successes and challenges that it has encountered over the years. The idea was spirited by the desire to contribute to the excellence of the education system.