While some studies in Zimbabwe have examined the relevance of education in rural settings, very few have done so using a human development-oriented framework such as the capabilities approach, as this paper does. In linking education and human development, the capabilities approach facilitates an examination of intersecting individual contexts and educational processes, which influence perceptions, decision-making and outcomes. This paper uses Chakohwa village as a qualitative case study to question education's relevance in certain rural settings, especially in a developing country context. Data was collected through a focus group discussion and interviews with key respondents. Questioning the curriculum and the learning process, reveals how, if at all, education can be converted into a valued functioning and the conditions of possibilities in such contexts. The study also highlights the need for a minimum threshold of resources before education can be valued intrinsically and instrumentally, and the implications for human development.