ICC Note:
Dr. Lazarus Dokora, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, explained that each child has the right to belong to any religion. Furthermore, he asserted that school authorities should accommodate to each pupil so that none of them are put at a disadvantage. This statement to the Zimbabwe Religious Board in Chitungwiza reiterates the Constitution as of 2013. While discussing the new curriculum, Dr. Lazarus also mentioned that the new curriculum did not impose Islam on the students. This is a step in the right direction for religious freedom in Zimbabwe’s education system.
06/26/2017 Zimbabwe (All Africa) – Every child has a right to belong to any religion and school authorities should adjust their timetables to ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Lazarus Dokora said this on Saturday while addressing the Zimbabwe Religious Board in Chitungwiza where he reiterated that the new curriculum did not impose Islam on pupils.
“In 2013 came the new Constitution which we voted for and it stipulates the rights for education and religion. In the same Constitution there is nowhere, where it is written that the religion of this country is this, but there is a section where it states the freedom of conscience,” said Dr Dokora.
“It means everyone is free to worship any religion and there are those who believe in Islam, Apostolic sects (Masowe), Bahai, and Buddhism. In our Constitution there is nowhere, where it is written that we should kill anyone who believes in Buddhism, but everyone in Zimbabwe must have the freedom to stand for what he or she believes in,” he said.
Dr Dokora advised teachers to take note of their pupil’s different religions and observe them accordingly.
“What does this mean to my staff? In Chitungwiza there a lot of apostolic sects that attend church every Thursday evening together with their children and on Friday they go to school.
“It means children will attend school already tired because they never had rest the previous night.
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