By 
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has made demands for a minimum budget allocation of 20 percent for education, aligning with the Dakar Declaration.
The Union highlighted the need for school feeding programs, sanitary wear provision, state-funded basic education, teacher morale and motivation through salary increases and infrastructural development.
“We demand that the 2024 national budget prioritizes education and allocates the necessary resources to fix the crisis we face. We will continue to fight for improved learning outcomes, increased access to quality education, better teacher motivation, and the socio-economic development of Zimbabwe. We expect our recommendations and demands to be taken seriously during the budget,” said ARTUZ.
The Union refused to accept the government’s pitiful allocation of 0.4 percent of the total budget for the School Feeding program as children cannot learn on empty stomachs.
” We demand an immediate increase of at least USD 0.50 per learner per school day for the school feeding program. This program must expand to include urban schools affected by poverty as well,” said ARTUZ.
ARTUZ described the previous year (2023)’s budget as a failed promise.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) may have boasted the highest allocation among all ministries in the 2023 budget, but it was nothing more than an empty gesture.”
“An allocation of ZWL$631.279 billion, accounting for a mere 14.04 percent of the total national budget, fell far short of what was needed to make real improvements in the education sector.”
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