Although Zimbabwe has shown a strong commitment to improving educational access and quality, overall enrollment figures conceal major regional disparities and the lack of education and services in marginalized communities. One neglected sector of the population is the commercial farmworker community, currently comprising about two million hired farmworkers and their families. The limited information about schooling on commercial farms, particularly the lack of clarity about the relevance and quality of education, prompted Save the Children Fund (SCF) to undertake a participatory research project on 27 farms in Mashonaland Central in late 1998. Over 2,000 children took part in a participatory rural appraisal (PRA), with 1,072 children aged 12-16 participating in discussions and exercises. Results were followed up in focus group discussions with students, teachers, and parents on three farms. This publication consists of six main sections. Sections 1 and 2 present an overview of commercial farms in Zimbabwe and their schools; the social, political, and economic conditions in which farmworkers live; and the rationale and methodology of participatory research. Section 3 focuses on the children's findings and the reasons they either do not go to school or drop out. Section 4 explores parents' and teachers' viewpoints and differences in attitudes among parents, teachers, and students. Sections 5 and 6 detail the issues of quality of education and relevance of the curriculum and present interviews with a headmaster, a health worker, a farmer's wife, and an SCF project officer. Recommendations are offered to the government and nongovernmental organizations. An appendix details PRA methodology. (Contains 17 references.) (SV)