Zimbabwe needs 2 500 new schools

THE country needs about 2 500 new schools to adequately cover the shortage and give a wholesome improvement to the learning environment, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavhima has said.

In an interview on the sidelines of a handover ceremony of four standard double classroom blocks, ten multi-compartment blair toilets and a staff toilet at Molo Primary School in Bubi district, Prof Mavhima said the country faced a shortage of schools, a situation that had seen some school children learning in makeshift pole and dagga schools and disused tobacco barns.

"We need about 2 500 new schools in the country and we have committed as a ministry to build 60 schools every year. It's a tall order and we have an allocation from Public Sector Investment Programme which comes from the treasury but it's not sufficient to cover the gap that we have," said the deputy minister.

He said during the period of economic down turn which lasted for over a decade, the Government faced challenges in building or maintaining school infrastructure.

"That period of economic down turn led to a situation where there was no renewal of school infrastructure and even building of new schools. We require considerable investment to rehabilitate the buildings and also provide furniture let alone providing the infrastructure that would enable the provision of computers and e-learning equipment," said Prof Mavhima.

He added that the challenge was critical in resettlement areas where many satellite schools were found.

"We have 1 500 satellite schools that require massive rehabilitation. We have some of the satellite schools that are in more deplorable conditions where some pupils are learning in tobacco barns, while others are learning under trees with no furniture."

He said there was a need for partnerships between the ministry, community and the private sector to address the challenge.

Member of Parliament for Bubi Cde Clifford Sibanda, concurred with Prof Mavhima and said there were about 20 pole and dagga schools in his constituency.

"We still have about 20 schools that are in a deplorable state and made of pole and dagga," he said.

Mr Sibanda bemoaned the lack of cooperation by the companies operating in the area which he accused of not ploughing back into the community.

The school was constructed by the Japanese Embassy through a US$112 000 project that was advanced to World Vision Zimbabwe.

Japanese Ambassador Yoshinobu Hiraishi said he was hopeful that the construction of the new school would go a long way in improving the pass rate.

"Education is a prerequisite not just for national socio-economic development, but also to enable pupils to improve their own standard of living and that of families.

"The Government of Zimbabwe is committed to maintaining high literacy rates, but recent economic factors have not been favourable resulting in poor school infrastructure. I would like to appeal to parents to keep children in schools, particularly the girl children who are often made to stay at home due to various issues including security problems," said the ambassador.

Molo school headmaster Mr Fortune Moyo, said they were now looking at constructing proper staff houses.

He said they could not retain qualified staff due to the terrible state of staff accommodation.

"There is no proper accommodation for teachers and it's difficult for us to retain qualified teachers. We always have temporary teachers who also come and go," said the head.

He said they were going to appeal to parents to contribute to the construction of teachers' houses.