Education for All: Issues and Challenges: The Case for Zimbabwe

This present study was carried out in order to establish the benefits and challenges of the Education for All Policy in Zimbabwe. The study adopted the descriptive survey design since it was all about people`s perceptions on the benefits and challenges of the policy of Education For All. In order to solicit data from the respondents, the questionnaire, and document analysis and interview schedule were used. The population of the study consisted of 306 prospective respondents, among them, Education Officers and Heads of Ministries in the different government departments in the seven districts of Mashonaland West Province. Out of a total population of 306, only 123 made it into the sample that was chosen through convenience sampling based on the availability and vicinity of the respondent to the researchers. However, results collated for the present study were from 115 respondents because some 8 prospective respondents did not submit the questionnaires issued to them. Results of the study show that the policy of Education for All has benefitted the masses a lot in a number of ways. These included churning out school leavers for industry and commerce, helping to break the cycle of poverty by creating a new generation that is literate and numerate and capable of being self employed, laying a foundation for skills training and further education and providing pupils with literacy and numeracy, life skills, and basic general knowledge of health, nutrition, and societal development, among others. Recommendations for the way forward included suggestions that there should be the involvement of all stakeholders in the provision of education for all and that communities should consider cost-sharing in terms of fees payment to cushion the disadvantaged families and making education more relevant to the needs of society