Marxist Perspectives on Educational Inequality in Zimbabwean Primary and Secondary Schools

Abstract

This paper applies Marxist theory to analyse educational inequality in Zimbabwean primary and secondary schools. Drawing on the foundational work of Karl Marx and later theorists such as Althusser, Bowles and Gintis, the study argues that Zimbabwe’s education system systematically reproduces class-based disparities rooted in broader socio-economic structures. Using a conceptual methodology and illustrative case studies such as elite urban institutions and under-resourced rural schools, the paper highlights how curriculum design, ideological messaging and unequal access to resources disproportionately benefit learners from privileged backgrounds. The analysis shows that while Zimbabwe's post-independence reforms expanded access to education, they failed to address deep-rooted structural inequalities. The education system continues to serve as an ideological and material instrument for class reproduction, aligning with capitalist labour demands and sustaining elite dominance. Although Marxist theory has limitations, particularly in accounting for other forms of identity-based exclusion such as gender and ethnicity, it remains a powerful framework for interrogating educational injustice in postcolonial societies. The paper concludes with recommendations for curriculum reform, equitable resource distribution, and the promotion of critical pedagogy to foster a more inclusive and socially just education system.