via No school place for MDC children 17 December 2014
Cheunzwe High School in Murewa recently turned away an aspiring form one pupil because his family supports the MDC.
Gorden Mutize, the MDC-T Mashonaland East organising secretary, told The Zimbabwean that he went to apply for his child’s form one place at the school driving a marked MDC-T vehicle, which did not go down well with school authorities, allegedly aligned to Zanu (PF).
“Initially, the child, who scored nine points at grade seven, was accepted by the school, but the offer was later withdrawn after it was realised that her family was MDC. This was after I had deposited the required 430 dollars school fees into the school bank account,” he said.
Mutize confronted the school authorities for an explanation but did not get a satisfactory response, forcing him to approach the District Ministry of Education offices at Murewa for redress.
The district education officer, Sylvester Makunzwa, told Mutize that it was unconstitutional for the school to discriminate against any child on partisan, religious, tribal or gender basis. He instructed the school authorities to admit the child as she deserved the place on the strength of her grade seven passes.
Contacted for comment, deputy headmaster Mufurungirwa said Mutize’s child had not been offered a place at the school, and Mutize had gone to the bank to pay fees without the knowledge of school authorities.
“The school did not offer Mutize’s child a school place, but for more information you should contact the school head,” said Mufurungirwa, who some teachers accused of bringing Zanu (PF) politics to the school.
The headmaster, Mr C Makupe, told this reporter that he was handling the issue and would take corrective measures. “I received Mutize’s complaint and am doing everything within my powers to address the issue. As the highest authority at the school, I will help do justice to the child,” he said.
COMMENTS
Despicable. Give up on our courts and take this to an international court for children’s rights. Angeline Jolie Pierce Brosnan Roger Federer -celebrities – take up this cause and make a wave of powerful influence for this suffering nation.
anyone else who does not belong to ZANU should not pay taxes
true and very true. zanupfooo hypocrites. mati madii muchadzoka kuvanhu kusakwana kwese kuchapera. hokoyo nerufu. mucha pindwa nechando manjemanje. kunge ndimi makavaka zvikoro zvacho hamuzive pekugumira zvechizanupfoo zvenyu. mukawana nguva mukwane kwamurewa ikoko.
if thats the case then then MDC or any other political members should not pay taxes
Children of MDC T supporters have every right to be admitted in any school just as it is common sense that MDC T is supposed to be the ruling party had this old donkey not rigged the election in 2008 and 2013
Hope it will get international exposure.
Discrimination
Article 1
Everyone under the age of 18 has all the rights in the
Convention.
Article 2
The Convention applies to everyone: whatever their race,
religion or abilities, whatever they think or say, whatever type of
family they come from.
Article 3
The best interests of the child must be a top priority in all things
that affect children.
Article 4
Governments must do all they can to make sure every child can
enjoy their rights.
Article 5
Governments must respect the rights and responsibilities of
parents and carers to direct and guide their children as they
grow up, so that they can enjoy their rights properly.
Article 6
Every child has the right to life. Governments must do all they
can to make sure that children survive and develop to their full
potential.
Article 7
Every child has the right to a legal name and nationality, as well
as the right to know and, as far as possible, to be cared for by
their parents.
Article 8
Governments must respect every child’s right to a name, a
nationality and family ties.
Article 9
Children must not be separated from their parents unless it is
in their best interests (for example, if a parent is hurting a child).
Children whose parents have separated have the right to stay in
contact with both parents, unless this might hurt the child.
Article 10
Governments must act quickly and sympathetically if a child
or their parents want to live together in the same country. If a
child’s parents live apart in different countries, the child has the
right to visit both of them.
Article 11
Governments must do everything they can to stop children
being taken out of their own country illegally or being prevented
from returning.
Article 12
Every child has the right to have a say in all matters affecting
them, and to have their views taken seriously.
Article 13
Every child must be free to say what they think and to seek and
receive all kinds of information, as long as it is within the law.
Article 14
Every child has the right to think and believe what they want
and to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping
other people from enjoying their rights. Governments must
respect the rights of parents to give their children information
about this right.
Article 15
Every child has the right to meet with other children and to join
groups and organisations, as long as this does not stop other
people from enjoying their rights.
Article 16
Every child has the right to privacy. The law should protect the
child’s private, family and home life.
Article 17
Every child has the right to reliable information from the media.
This should be information that children can understand.
Governments must help protect children from materials that
could harm them.
Article 18
Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their child and
should always consider what is best for the child. Governments
must support parents by giving them the help they need,
especially if the child’s parents work.
Article 19
Governments must do all they can to ensure that children are
protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and bad
treatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.
Article 20
If a child cannot be looked after by their family, governments
must make sure that they are looked after properly by people
who respect the child’s religion, culture and language.
Article 21
If a child is adopted, the first concern must be what is best for
the child. All children must be protected and kept safe, whether
they are adopted in the country where they were born or in
another country.
Article 22
If a child is a refugee or is seeking refuge, governments must
make sure that they have the same rights as any other child.
Governments must help in trying to reunite child refugees with
their parents.
Article 23
A child with a disability has the right to live a full and decent
life with dignity and independence, and to play an active part in
the community. Governments must do all they can to provide
support to disabled children.
Article 24
Every child has the right to the best possible health.
Governments must work to provide good quality health care,
clean water, nutritious food and a clean environment so that
children can stay healthy. Richer countries must help poorer
countries achieve this.
Article 25
If a child lives away from home (in care, hospital or in prison,
for example), they have the right to a regular check of their
treatment and the way they are cared for.
Article 26
Governments must provide extra money for the children of
families in need.
Article 27
Every child has the right to a standard of living that is good
enough to meet their physical, social and mental needs.
Governments must help families who cannot afford to provide
this.
Article 28
Every child has the right to an education. Primary education
must be free. Secondary education must be available for every
child. Discipline in schools must respect children’s dignity.
Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this.
Article 29
Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and
abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for
human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and
other cultures, and the environment.
Article 30
Every child has the right to learn and use the language, customs
and religion of their family, regardless of whether these are
shared by the majority of the people in the country where they
live.
Article 31
Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide
range of cultural and artistic activities.
Article 32
Governments must protect children from work that is
dangerous or might harm their health or education.
Article 33
Governments must protect children from the use of illegal
drugs.
Article 34
Governments must protect children from sexual abuse and
exploitation.
Article 35
Governments must ensure that children are not abducted or
sold.
Article 36
Governments must protect children from all other forms of bad
treatment.
Article 37
No child shall be tortured or suffer other cruel treatment or
punishment. A child should be arrested or put in prison only as
a last resort and then for the shortest possible time. Children
must not be in a prison with adults. Children who are locked up
must be able to keep in contact with their family.
Article 38
Governments must do everything they can to protect and
care for children affected by war. Governments must not allow
children under the age of 15 to take part in war or join the
armed forces.
Article 39
Children neglected, abused, exploited, tortured or who are
victims of war must receive special help to help them recover
their health, dignity and self-respect.
Article 40
A child accused or guilty of breaking the law must be treated
with dignity and respect. They have the right to help from a
lawyer and a fair trial that takes account of their age or situation.
The child’s privacy must be respected at all times.
Article 41
If the laws of a particular country protect children better than
the articles of the Convention, then those laws must stay in
place.
Article 42
Governments should make the Convention known to children
and adults.
The Convention has 54 articles in total. Articles 43–54 are about
how adults and governments work together to make sure that
all children get all their rights.
Our Rights
In 1989, governments across the world promised all children the
same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child. The Convention says what countries must do so that
all children grow as healthy as possible, can learn at school, are
protected, have their views listened to, and are treated fairly.
These are our rights.
There is probably discriminiation against childrenand youths who belong to other communities, caucasian, mixed race etc. those who are orphans and need assistance – hope an organisation will investigate it further and findings made public