International Journal of Social Science Research and Review

Marxist Perspectives on Educational Inequality in Zimbabwean Primary and Secondary Schools

Isaac Mutelo — 2025-09-25

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.

Bumping Road to Waste Management in Serang City Based on Swat Analysis

Rahmawati Rahmawati — 2025-09-25

The increasing population and community activities have contributed to an increase in the volume of waste. Waste management is a systematic, comprehensive, and continuous activity. This study aims to analyze the challenges of waste management in Serang City, the capital of Banten Province, where the amount of waste continues to increase daily, contrary to the capacity of the final waste disposal site in Cilowong. This study uses the IFAS and EFAS methods to assess the waste management strategies of the Serang City Environmental Agency. The method used is quantitative descriptive. The study involved 26 respondents from government agencies, the community, and waste bank managers. The results indicate that, based on the IFAS and EFAS matrix calculations, strengths and opportunities outweigh weaknesses and threats, with a total internal factor score of 0.45 and a total external factor score of 0.43. Therefore, this strategy adopts an aggressive (growth) approach in waste management. The recommended waste management strategy for Serang City is a collaborative one, which aims to maximize government support and strengthen the involvement of environmental activists and the community, leverage support by establishing strong partnerships with external parties and utilizing technology for waste processing, optimize and strengthen supporting facilities for waste reduction in the community to enhance waste innovation, and educate the community through community-based waste management.