Thousands of children are dropping out of school in Zimbabwe amid an economic crisis caused by drought, high inflation and unemployment.

Last year at least 60% of the children in primary school were sent home for failing to pay fees.

The school year began in January, but in Fanta, a privately run college in the deprived Harare suburb of Epworth, some classrooms remain empty.

School owner Perkins Chimhete explains there has been a sharp drop in enrolments: “They are there in the village, but the parents don’t have money. It’s not as if they enrolled in other schools.”

Free education ended in the 1990s and parents pay between $30 (£23) and $700 a year in school fees.

Parents are increasingly opting for cheaper unregistered schools charging just $3 a month.

It is a sign of the desperate times - makeshift schools are sprouting up especially here in Epworth. Schools have been set up in homes and backyards.

Eunice Maronga the headmistress says: "Some are able to pay, some are failing to pay. Some, they bring 20 Zimbabwean dollars this week (about $1), 15 next week until they finish the fees."

But a $3-education has its drawbacks - no desks, and one textbook for the teacher.

But even here, enrolment is down by a third compared to last year. UN figures show that more than 20,000 children dropped out of primary school in 2018. At lower secondary school, the drop-out rate is 20%.

Elizabeth Chibanda, whose children are at home after her food-vending business collapsed, says her eight-year-old daughter has been sent back to the village. Her six-year-old son couldn’t begin first grade in January.

"She is doing nothing in the village, but I was ashamed to have a grade-three student sitting around, when it’s so obvious to everyone she should be in school. With my son, I can pretend he is not of school-going age yet," Ms Chibanda says.

Liberty Matsive, from the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe, says: "The reason why there is an increase in unregistered schools is because of the shortage of government schools - to the tune of about 2,000 schools."

The government is seeking partners to build the schools needed and has warned that it is illegal to turn children away from their schools for non-payment of fees.