School dropouts in Zimbabwe between 1980 and 2004: Implications for education and training policy twenty-five years after independence.

Abstract

This article analyses the problem of school dropouts in Zimbabwe during the period 1980 to 2004 with the aim of suggesting how the problem can be eliminated. The discussion is important in view of the fact that the country is experience critical human resource challenges yet the education and training system is releasing large numbers of young boys and girls who have the potential to contribute meaningfully to socio-economic development. The methodology involved the identification and analysis of statistical data on enrolments within schools and colleges from government publications and websites. The analysis showed that the average school dropout rate of about 26% between 1980 and 2004 was rather too high. This was because the dropouts were not being adequately catered for at tertiary level because of strict entry requirements stipulating formal school qualifications. As a solution to this problem, the discussion proposes a paradigm shift within policy makers to address the issues of compulsory school attendance between the ages of six and eighteen, compulsory vocational education and training for all school dropouts, and the generation of local resources and technology for use within the education and training system to reduce costs.