“Internet
in
a
Box”
is
a
digital
library
that
allows
students
to
access
educational
materials
offline,
eliminating
the
need
for
an
internet
connection.
To
date,
ARTUZ
has
provided
35
such
facilities
to
schools
in
remote
areas,
giving
students
access
to
digital
learning
tools
and
resources.
“This
initiative
marks
a
significant
step
towards
bridging
the
digital
divide
and
ensuring
that
rural
schools
can
access
much-needed
educational
materials,”
ARTUZ
stated.
In
addition
to
these
donations,
ARTUZ
has
been
hosting
community
dialogues
to
tackle
Zimbabwe’s
ongoing
education
crisis.
These
dialogues,
led
by
parents
and
teachers,
have
recently
taken
place
in
communities
such
as
Binga
and
Seke.
Participants
raised
several
concerns,
including
the
government’s
failure
to
provide
teachers
with
salaries
above
the
Poverty
Datum
Line
(PDL).
Both
parents
and
educators
expressed
frustration
that
the
low
salaries
are
impacting
teacher
morale
and
the
overall
quality
of
education.
Parents
also
voiced
concerns
about
the
growing
reliance
on
extra
lessons,
which
place
an
undue
financial
burden
on
families
and
exacerbate
inequities
in
the
education
system.
“There
is
a
call
for
the
government
to
intervene
and
abolish
extra
lessons,
ensuring
that
quality
education
is
delivered
during
regular
school
hours,”
ARTUZ
noted.
Additionally,
participants
demanded
that
the
government
fulfill
its
promise
of
free
education,
citing
frustration
over
continued
financial
pressures
despite
assurances
of
a
no-cost
education
system.
ARTUZ
highlighted
a
community
call
for
every
school
to
have
a
designated
social
worker
to
address
the
emotional
and
psychological
challenges
faced
by
students.
“Social
workers
are
essential
to
supporting
children’s
academic
and
personal
development,”
the
union
emphasized.
Another
key
demand
is
for
every
school
to
have
access
to
clean,
running
water.
“Access
to
clean
water
is
fundamental
to
the
health
and
well-being
of
learners,
particularly
in
rural
areas,”
ARTUZ
said.
Parents
also
called
for
the
restructuring
of
the
Basic
Education
Assistance
Module
(BEAM)
to
better
serve
vulnerable
children’s
educational
needs.
Participants
stressed
the
urgency
of
a
supplementary
budget
to
support
the
school
feeding
program,
critical
for
student
retention
and
academic
performance
in
rural
communities.
“There
was
a
unanimous
appeal
for
the
government
to
stop
delaying
school
fee
payments
through
the
BEAM
program.
Delays,
coupled
with
payments
in
a
rapidly
devaluing
local
currency,
are
causing
significant
disruptions
in
the
education
process,”
ARTUZ
stated.