Challenges Facing University Education in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study sought to find out the challenges faced by universities in Zimbabwe. Data were collected through the use of an open-ended questionnaire, from a sample of 20 academics in three universities in Zimbabwe. All the respondents included Deans of faculties, Chairpersons and Programme Leaders. The data were qualitatively analyzed. The findings revealed that universities were facing challenges in research and publication, quality assurance, loss of qualified and experienced staff, high student dropouts, and lack of funding. The recommendations are that industry and commerce need to assist universities in funding and collaborative research. Public and private partnerships could assist in quality assurance in their operations.

nstitutional structures for student-inclusivity in quality assurance promotion in higher education: The case of one university in Zimbabwe

“…Garwe (2015) Kusure et al (2006) suggest few journals are locally available to publish articles hence students and lecturers have suffered lack of exposure to research and publication. Majoni (2014) blames low research output on unnecessarily high workloads and under funding by government, industry and IHLs. The scholar further argued that although QA has always been in place through peer review and student evaluation mechanisms, these are not being fully utilized due to lack of funds (Majoni 2014).…”

“…Majoni (2014) blames low research output on unnecessarily high workloads and under funding by government, industry and IHLs. The scholar further argued that although QA has always been in place through peer review and student evaluation mechanisms, these are not being fully utilized due to lack of funds (Majoni 2014). Citing inadequate quality controls mechanisms, Majoni (2014) suggests funding challenges have hampered quality teaching and effective quality assurance systems in most universities.…”

“…The massification of higher education in Zimbabwe has precipitated challenges other than the economic meltdown that has dogged the country for almost three decades (Garwe 2015;Majoni 2014). Factors cited as having led to the deterioration of quality in higher education include (i) comparative lack of adequate investment in higher education, (ii) expansion of university student intakes and systems in general, (iii) diminishing government subsidies to higher education (HE) (iv) failure to balance widening and deepening access and the associated costs (Mhlanga 2008); (v) low salaries and poor working conditions leading to the brain drain especially in the mid-1990s through to 2010, (vi) the harsh political climate that led to persecution of teachers following the 2000 parliamentary elections, having allegedly supported opposition parties and (vi) archaic, primordial and anachronistic teaching and learning equipment.…”

“…Less than proportional investment coupled with lacking basic provisions, shortages of equipment and other teaching and learning materials, and massification of higher education affected quantity and quality of graduates disparately. Such factors are unlikely to vanish, which calls for private and public universities in Zimbabwe to brace for inclusive mechanisms where students and graduates fit in employment sectors traditionally a preserve for university graduates (Majoni 2014).…”

Obstacles to Research and Publication in Zimbabwean Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of the Research and Intellectual Expo

“…A few studies have indicated that quality research is still lacking in these institutions due to lack of exposure to research and publication, too high workloads caused by too much focus on teaching at the expense of research, inadequate funding and few local journals and other publication outlets (Majoni, 2014). This position is buttressed by Bukaliya and Muyengwa, (2012) who reported that, in response to the call for promotions to senior lectureship and professorship by the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), only 3 out of the 26 lecturing staff in Mashonaland East managed to submit their applications.…”