News / Education
'Coltart the worsts Minister of Education,' says Maziwisa
13 Feb 2014 at 07:43hrs | Views
Robert Mugabe apologist and Zanu-PF deputy director of information, Psychology Maziwisa, has accused Senator David Coltart as the worst Education Minister Zimbabwe has ever had.
Maziwisa made the accusation on his facebook profile. He wrote: "We are all entitled to be disgusted by what is happening in our educational system, not least because it's an affront to President Mugabe's efforts over the years to make Zimbabwe the leading country on the continent, possibly in the world, as far as education is concerned.
"And a 2% improvement from last years 18% O level pass rate just isn't good enough. Yet it has to be remembered that the reason why our standards fell so miserably last year was because a clueless MDC minister, who was possibly out to send a political message, was in charge of the education ministry.
"It's a fatal mistake that we simply cannot afford to see repeated again!"
An MDC activist, Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo, was not amused by Maziwisa's comments.
"So according to Psychology Maziwisa Senator David Coltart was the worst Education Minister?? He is the first, only and last person to say this.
"I will repeat someone please move close to Maziwisa and just whisper some little sense into him. I really don't know where he bases all of his assessments. When is psychamotor education kicking off? Its getting urgent."
An American online site alleges that when David Coltart took over as Zimbabwe's minister of education, only 2 percent of schools were open.
Exerts of the interviewer between Coltart and some American journalist.
What was the state of education in Zimbabwe when you became the minister of education in February 2009?
In 2008, we only had 28 full teaching days. When I took office in February 2009, 98 percent of all schools were shut and 90,000 teachers were on strike. Exams from the previous year were still unmarked. There was no money for education in the government's budget, and textbook-to-pupil ratio was 15-to-one. My department was not computerized and our data collection system had collapsed. Basically, the education system was in an extreme crisis.
What have you accomplished since taking over and what are the most pressing challenges remaining?
First, I established an open-door policy and a rapport with teachers' unions, which the previous minister ignored and treated with suspicion. I allowed parents to pay performance incentives to teachers whose salaries were a mere $100 per month back then. Those policies resulted in teachers returning to work and today the teacher attendance rate is excellent. I set up an education transition fund that allowed the USA, UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to bypass Zimbabwe's government and help to finance our education system directly. I also managed to break a domestic textbook publishing cartel -- three Zimbabwean companies that colluded to make windfall profits. I authorized UNICEF [the United Nations Children's Fund] to hold an international tender and the cost of books came down to 70 cents from five dollars. Textbook ratio fell to 1-to-1 and is now the best in Africa.
The review of the national curriculum remains a problem. Last reform of the curriculum was in 1986. It is clearly very outdated, but some in Zanu-PF [Zimbabwe African National Union -- Patriotic Front, the ruling party] are being obstructionist, because they fear the introduction of civic education and a more objective, non-partisan history syllabus. Another problem is that teachers are still paid only half [$400] of what their South African counterparts earn. We also worry about the physical security of the teachers. Teachers are held in high regard -- especially in the rural areas -- where the Zanu-PF has traditionally been relatively strong. Teachers are usually victimized during elections, because people vote in schools and teachers are viewed as sympathetic to the opposition. My worry is that in case of renewed violence, teachers will be targeted and leave again.
Maziwisa made the accusation on his facebook profile. He wrote: "We are all entitled to be disgusted by what is happening in our educational system, not least because it's an affront to President Mugabe's efforts over the years to make Zimbabwe the leading country on the continent, possibly in the world, as far as education is concerned.
"And a 2% improvement from last years 18% O level pass rate just isn't good enough. Yet it has to be remembered that the reason why our standards fell so miserably last year was because a clueless MDC minister, who was possibly out to send a political message, was in charge of the education ministry.
"It's a fatal mistake that we simply cannot afford to see repeated again!"
An MDC activist, Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo, was not amused by Maziwisa's comments.
"So according to Psychology Maziwisa Senator David Coltart was the worst Education Minister?? He is the first, only and last person to say this.
"I will repeat someone please move close to Maziwisa and just whisper some little sense into him. I really don't know where he bases all of his assessments. When is psychamotor education kicking off? Its getting urgent."
Exerts of the interviewer between Coltart and some American journalist.
What was the state of education in Zimbabwe when you became the minister of education in February 2009?
In 2008, we only had 28 full teaching days. When I took office in February 2009, 98 percent of all schools were shut and 90,000 teachers were on strike. Exams from the previous year were still unmarked. There was no money for education in the government's budget, and textbook-to-pupil ratio was 15-to-one. My department was not computerized and our data collection system had collapsed. Basically, the education system was in an extreme crisis.
What have you accomplished since taking over and what are the most pressing challenges remaining?
First, I established an open-door policy and a rapport with teachers' unions, which the previous minister ignored and treated with suspicion. I allowed parents to pay performance incentives to teachers whose salaries were a mere $100 per month back then. Those policies resulted in teachers returning to work and today the teacher attendance rate is excellent. I set up an education transition fund that allowed the USA, UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to bypass Zimbabwe's government and help to finance our education system directly. I also managed to break a domestic textbook publishing cartel -- three Zimbabwean companies that colluded to make windfall profits. I authorized UNICEF [the United Nations Children's Fund] to hold an international tender and the cost of books came down to 70 cents from five dollars. Textbook ratio fell to 1-to-1 and is now the best in Africa.
The review of the national curriculum remains a problem. Last reform of the curriculum was in 1986. It is clearly very outdated, but some in Zanu-PF [Zimbabwe African National Union -- Patriotic Front, the ruling party] are being obstructionist, because they fear the introduction of civic education and a more objective, non-partisan history syllabus. Another problem is that teachers are still paid only half [$400] of what their South African counterparts earn. We also worry about the physical security of the teachers. Teachers are held in high regard -- especially in the rural areas -- where the Zanu-PF has traditionally been relatively strong. Teachers are usually victimized during elections, because people vote in schools and teachers are viewed as sympathetic to the opposition. My worry is that in case of renewed violence, teachers will be targeted and leave again.
Source - Byo24News
