Provision of Quality Education in Private Schools: Reflective Practices in Low-Cost Private Secondary Schools in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Quality in education has become a cause for concern to every stakeholder in education. The study sought to assess the provision of quality education in low-cost private secondary schools in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. The study adopted the interpretivist paradigm in qualitative approach, using a case study design. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used for collecting thematically analysed data from purposively sampled four school heads and six teachers from low-cost private secondary schools. The study established that in pursuit for quality education, selected schools employed qualified teachers who engage in continuous professional development programmes to sharpen their teaching skills. The findings revealed that the schools understudy are making efforts to offer practical science and computer lessons using the limited resources to ensure the provision of quality education. It emerged that selected schools use e-learning and multimedia resources which arouse learners’ interests and increase the retention rates. It came out that the schools understudy have environmental clubs which work together with school health departments in attending to sanitary issues. Whilst selected schools practiced heterogeneous grouping, the findings revealed that learners with physical disabilities are not enrolled in those schools due to lack of appropriate physical facilities and there are no teachers with relevant expertise to teach learners with special needs. The study revealed that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education provided guidelines in the form of policy documents and circulars to monitor the provision of quality education in the selected schools. Despite the efforts made by low-cost secondary schools in providing quality education, the study found that high staff turnover is negatively affecting the quality of education due to lack of continuity in learning. The findings indicated that inadequate learning resources and infrastructure such as libraries, computer and science laboratories, internet services, and lack of teachers with special needs expertise adversely affected the provision of quality education. The study concludes that lack of financial resources is a hindrance in the provision of quality education in low-cost secondary schools. The study recommends that a comparative study on provision of quality education should be conducted in private trust secondary schools.
 
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Quality Education in Low-Fee Paying Private High Schools in Mabelreign/Warren Park District in Harare,Zimbabwe:Teachers` Perspective

“…In addition, majority of the parents seem not interested in enrolling their children in stateowned high schools where quality of education was poor. Meanwhile, the parents also seem not affording to enroll their children in high-fee paying traditional private high schools (Midzi et al, 2021) because of economic meltdown and above all the level of their disposable income. Consequently, entrepreneurs discovered this business opportunity and eventually seized it by establishing low-fee paying private high schools that are much cheaper than the traditional high-fee paying private high schools.…”

“…Consequently, entrepreneurs discovered this business opportunity and eventually seized it by establishing low-fee paying private high schools that are much cheaper than the traditional high-fee paying private high schools. As Midzi et al (2021) point out, the Zimbabwean education sector attracted entrepreneurs who are interested in quick, easy money, which many people in the society raised fears that such lowfee paying private high schools may reduce the hard-earned reputation of high educational standards. Apparently, this paradigm shift in the education system in Zimbabwe results in mushrooming of low-fee paying private high schools which are cheaper in comparison with high-fee paying traditional private high schools.…”

“…In recent years, The Zimbabwean education system has experienced the unprecedented increase of low-fee paying private high schools (Mushanawani, 2020;Midzi et al,2021)  How can quality education be improved in low-fee paying private high schools?…”