Govt faces litigation over ‘national pledge’

GOVERNMENT’s decision to impose upon all schoolchildren a “national pledge” to be recited before classes or at regular intervals is a fascist idea and could infringe on the rights of children, legal experts and opposition parties have said.

Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora last month announced all children would, from next term, be expected to recite the “national pledge”.

People’s Democratic Party leader Tendai Biti, who is also a lawyer, was scathing in his attack of the pledge, offering to take up the matter in the courts if someone comes forward to challenge it.

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