News / Education
Zimbabwe Teachers' Association set to distribute more than 10 000 books
31 Dec 2011 at 07:01hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (Zimta), in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture will soon distribute more than 10 000 books written by local teachers and published by the Pan African Teachers' Association in Togo.
The books will be distributed to underprivileged children in primary and secondary schools in some of the country's 10 provinces.
In an interview yesterday, Zimta executive officer for Bulawayo Province, Mr Temba Sibanda, said the Pan African Teachers' Association promotes teachers' organisations and assists teachers to become writers.
"The association, which is based in Togo, is the mother body of teachers' associations in African countries. The association's vision is to assist teachers to become writers and inculcate a better reading culture among schoolchildren," said Mr Sibanda.
"Teachers drawn from the country's 10 provinces sent their manuscripts to the association in Togo. The manuscripts were examined, edited and published by the Pan African Teachers' Association and they will soon be distributed to schools through the parent ministry."
One of the book writers, who is a teacher at Emhlangeni Primary School in Inyathi in Matabeleland North Province, Mr Nelson Masukume, said he was proud to be part of the programme.
"In 2009, I was part of a group of 20 teachers who were writing books that would be used in primary and secondary schools to improve the culture of reading among pupils and improve the availability of resources in local schools.
"Out of the 20 teachers that took part in the programme, 10 had their books approved and published in Togo. The Ministry of Education is currently working on mechanisms to distribute the books across the country," said Mr Masukume.
Mr Masukume, whose book is entitled The Magic Tree, said the programme would give schoolchildren a chance to emulate their teachers and become better writers.
"Reading is the mother of other skills and I believe that when schoolchildren read books that have been written by people they know, they will easily take up the culture of writing books," he said.
Mr Masukume, however, said the teachers were planning to form an association for writers and appealed for financial assistance from well-wishers.
"We need financial assistance to form an association where we can produce books locally at a larger scale.
"We also need offices and resources such as computers, laptops and other facilities to form a complete association," said Mr Masukume.
The books will be distributed to underprivileged children in primary and secondary schools in some of the country's 10 provinces.
In an interview yesterday, Zimta executive officer for Bulawayo Province, Mr Temba Sibanda, said the Pan African Teachers' Association promotes teachers' organisations and assists teachers to become writers.
"The association, which is based in Togo, is the mother body of teachers' associations in African countries. The association's vision is to assist teachers to become writers and inculcate a better reading culture among schoolchildren," said Mr Sibanda.
"Teachers drawn from the country's 10 provinces sent their manuscripts to the association in Togo. The manuscripts were examined, edited and published by the Pan African Teachers' Association and they will soon be distributed to schools through the parent ministry."
One of the book writers, who is a teacher at Emhlangeni Primary School in Inyathi in Matabeleland North Province, Mr Nelson Masukume, said he was proud to be part of the programme.
"In 2009, I was part of a group of 20 teachers who were writing books that would be used in primary and secondary schools to improve the culture of reading among pupils and improve the availability of resources in local schools.
"Out of the 20 teachers that took part in the programme, 10 had their books approved and published in Togo. The Ministry of Education is currently working on mechanisms to distribute the books across the country," said Mr Masukume.
Mr Masukume, whose book is entitled The Magic Tree, said the programme would give schoolchildren a chance to emulate their teachers and become better writers.
"Reading is the mother of other skills and I believe that when schoolchildren read books that have been written by people they know, they will easily take up the culture of writing books," he said.
Mr Masukume, however, said the teachers were planning to form an association for writers and appealed for financial assistance from well-wishers.
"We need financial assistance to form an association where we can produce books locally at a larger scale.
"We also need offices and resources such as computers, laptops and other facilities to form a complete association," said Mr Masukume.
Source - chronicle
