Parents, Teachers Debate Factors Behind Poor Learner Performance

By Nelson Geje

Parents and teachers have engaged in a spirited debate over factors contributing to poor learner performance in Zimbabwe, with participants pointing to weak parental involvement, teacher commitment, learner attitudes, curriculum demands and the controversial role of extra lessons.

The discussion, which took place on the Masvingo/ Mhungura WhatsApp group, in Chipinge brought together teachers Gift Mhute, Power Chirigo and Joshua Mlambo, as well as parents, who exchanged contrasting views on why some learners are struggling academically and who should shoulder responsibility.

Mhute emerged as one of the most vocal contributors, arguing that Zimbabwe’s education challenges were too complex to be blamed solely on teachers.

He said poor national pass rates could not simply be attributed to misconduct by individual teachers, including allegations of alcohol abuse, arguing that learner attendance, parental involvement and curriculum demands also needed scrutiny.

“Nyaya yepass rate iri kungwaudza muZimbabwe,” (The story of pass rate is topical in Zimbabwe) Mhute said.

He identified three major concerns — the amount of content learners is expected to cover, declining appreciation of education among children and inadequate parental involvement.

“Vana havasi kuchaona value yeEducation because vakadzidza vacho havana mabasa,” (Children no longer see the value of education due to unemployment) he said, suggesting that unemployment among educated people was negatively influencing some children’s attitudes towards schooling.

Mhute cited his experience with Grade Seven learners in Masvingo Primary School in Chipinge where he teaches, where he claimed only between 12 and 20 learners out of a class of 68 were attending lessons.

The situation, he said, was particularly concerning because the learners were approaching their Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) examinations.

Mhute also claimed that before schools closed, parents of the 68 learners were invited to a meeting to discuss how their children could be supported academically, but only one parent attended.

“Pavana 68 pakauya mubereki 1. Vana vacho havasi kutouya saka tovadzidzisire kupi? (Out of 68 parents only 1 parent came. Children are not even attending lessons so where can we teach them? He wrote.

The comments triggered further debate among parents and teachers, with some participants maintaining that educators could not be absolved of responsibility for poor performance.

One parent argued that children learn extensively through observing adults and that teachers should therefore demonstrate exemplary behaviour.

“Vana vanodzidza more through observation than theory,” the parent said.

The contributor used a traditional analogy, saying a crab cannot expect its offspring to walk straight while it continues moving sideways — an argument that teachers should model the discipline and conduct they expect from learners.

Another major point of contention was the growing reliance on extra lessons.

Pastor Farai Mtisi, who participated in the discussion under the name The Levite, argued that teachers should effectively utilise officially allocated classroom time and complete syllabi during normal lessons.

“Vana ngavafunde nguwa yakatarwa vapedze syllabi ipapo,” (Children must learn based on the timelines of the syllabi)  Mtisi said.

He argued that extra lessons should primarily cater for slow learners requiring additional assistance rather than becoming a substitute for effective classroom teaching.

Mtisi went further, expressing concern that extra lessons had in some instances become fundraising ventures.

“I only begged to differ on extra lessons that have now become fundraising and reduced teacher’s concentration during ordinary lessons,” he said.

Other contributors questioned whether teachers always maximised normal lesson periods, while teachers in the discussion highlighted the difficulties educators face when learners fail to attend classes consistently.

Mhute argued that even a committed teacher could achieve little when learners were absent and parents were disengaged from their children’s education.

The debate also shifted towards Zimbabwe’s curriculum.

Mhute clarified that his concern was not necessarily the number of subjects being taught but the volume of content contained in some syllabi.

He questioned whether all curriculum requirements could realistically be covered within the available teaching time, citing Physical Education as an example.

The implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) also featured prominently.

Mhute argued that introducing major curriculum changes simultaneously across different grade levels could create transitional challenges for learners who had not encountered some foundational concepts in earlier grades.

He suggested that curriculum reforms could have been introduced progressively from the foundational ECD level, allowing learners to move through successive grades with the required background knowledge.

Language learning was also discussed, particularly the teaching of Ndau in Chipinge District.

Mhute highlighted challenges that could arise when learners encounter unfamiliar indigenous vocabulary while simultaneously grappling with foundational literacy concepts.

Career guidance emerged as another concern.

One parent argued that some students pursue university programmes without sufficient counselling about the relevance of particular qualifications and their employment prospects.

The discussion also produced disagreement over whether Zimbabwe’s current educational difficulties could be compared with previous periods.

Mhute recalled Zimbabwe’s reputation for educational achievement previously, arguing that the country once enjoyed a strong standing in education.

Despite the disagreements, participants eventually converged around the principle of shared responsibility.

One parent summed up the debate by saying effective teaching and learning depended on three key players — the teacher, parent and learner.

“Teaching and learning involves the teacher, parent and learner at the middle. Everyone must play his or her role for a better pass rate,” the parent said.

The Masvingo/Mhungura WhatsApp debate paints a picture of an education challenge that cannot easily be attributed to one group.

Teachers raised concerns over learner absenteeism, weak parental participation, declining motivation and curriculum pressures, while parents questioned teacher conduct, classroom delivery, role modelling and the increasing dependence on paid extra lessons.

The discussion suggests that reversing poor learner performance will require more than a blame game.

Instead, stronger accountability and cooperation among teachers, parents and learners could be critical in improving educational outcomes and restoring confidence in Zimbabwe’s education system.

Editor’s Note: Teachers participating in the discussion included Gift Mhute, Power Chirigo and Joshua Mlambo, while other contributors quoted in the discussion were parents. Claims concerning individual schools, attendance figures and teaching practices were made during the WhatsApp discussion and have not been independently verified by EduNews.