News / Education
Government takes ages to approve school site
01 Mar 2016 at 13:47hrs | Views
People of Chivi South in Masvingo Province have expressed bitterness at the slow pace at which the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is taking to approve a site identified for setting up a secondary school.
Officials from the ministry have reportedly taken close to a year without approving the school site, while some children are walking an excess of over 20 kilometres everyday to the nearest school, Ngundu Secondary School.
The dusty roads weave across mountains, valleys and dense forests, and in these far off humble villages of Chebvumbi and Zendere in the Ngundu area, parents tell of bitter struggles and almost futile attempts which have been going on for a year.
"I wake up every morning at 2.am to accompany my children to school. The nearest secondary school, Ngundu, is 24km away and we have no option as this is the only secondary school within this area," Mr Joseph Mugadawu said.
At sunrise, Mugadawu makes his way back home leaving the children to complete the journey on their own.
In the evening, it is another journey in the direction of the school to meet his children halfway.
"The earliest they arrive at home is usually after 7.pm," he said.
What has however annoyed the parents and the local leadership in the area is that it has almost been a year of requests for the District Education Office to come and give a go ahead for the secondary school to be built on a site which they have identified.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Prisca Utete Masango said the matter has only come to her attention through the ZBC News but has however promised to engage the district education officers.
For now, the only glimmer of hope are the piles of building materials which include cement bricks, river sand, gravel and a cleared area.
The school just won't be coming anytime soon until the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials give the go ahead.
Officials from the ministry have reportedly taken close to a year without approving the school site, while some children are walking an excess of over 20 kilometres everyday to the nearest school, Ngundu Secondary School.
The dusty roads weave across mountains, valleys and dense forests, and in these far off humble villages of Chebvumbi and Zendere in the Ngundu area, parents tell of bitter struggles and almost futile attempts which have been going on for a year.
"I wake up every morning at 2.am to accompany my children to school. The nearest secondary school, Ngundu, is 24km away and we have no option as this is the only secondary school within this area," Mr Joseph Mugadawu said.
At sunrise, Mugadawu makes his way back home leaving the children to complete the journey on their own.
"The earliest they arrive at home is usually after 7.pm," he said.
What has however annoyed the parents and the local leadership in the area is that it has almost been a year of requests for the District Education Office to come and give a go ahead for the secondary school to be built on a site which they have identified.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Prisca Utete Masango said the matter has only come to her attention through the ZBC News but has however promised to engage the district education officers.
For now, the only glimmer of hope are the piles of building materials which include cement bricks, river sand, gravel and a cleared area.
The school just won't be coming anytime soon until the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials give the go ahead.
Source - ZBC
