News / Education
Ministry identifies 83 sites for schools
30 May 2016 at 06:38hrs | Views
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has identified 83 sites countrywide where schools will be built in different provinces as part of the government's efforts to build 100 more schools this year.
The 83 schools are expected to be built through joint ventures between private players and the government, while a $20 million loan facility has been secured from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for the construction of 17 schools.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said the Ministry will start doing the financial closures for the construction of the 83 schools in the next few weeks. Dokora said this while addressing delegates at the hand-over ceremony of the China-Africa Friendly Primary School in Lupane on Saturday.
He emphasised the need to locate the food for work programmes in the rural provinces at schools so as to speed up the projects with the assistance from the communities. "The Ministry has identified sites for the roll out of 83 schools to be built in the country and in the next few weeks we should begin to do the financial closures for the projects.
"We expect the schools to be sited in such a way that we can support the schools' development. We want the school sites to be used as food for work sites where the community can converge for food for work programmes and receive their food rations," said the Minister.
He said the country needs to make rapid progress in the construction of schools to reduce the distances walked by school children to school, especially in rural areas.
"This is a key area where everybody has to participate. It would be sad if we miss this opportunity to develop the infrastructure for the schools that we need. We need to make rapid progress.
"The government has proclaimed that the public works department should escalate the food for work programme being supervised by DDF. Of the 83 schools I'm aware that some of them are located in this district. The food for work programme should therefore assist in the construction of these schools," said the Minister.
He emphasised on the need to develop Lupane as it was the capital of Matabeleland North Province.
"Lupane must grow and our provincial directorate must be located in this town. I'm aware that Members of Parliament in the relevant Portfolio Committee came here and one of their observations relates to the scarcity of social services to enable this town to grow. In a small way this school and the other schools to follow is one of our ways of saying we want the town to grow," said Minister Dokora.
He acknowledged that lack of teachers' accommodation was a serious challenge. "We're aware of the fact teachers' houses are a challenge. The town board should exercise its mandate. We must deal with this problem head on. "We need more open land and stands so that when we embark on those joint ventures we should make sure teachers have accommodation. We must look after our teachers because education is important," said Minister Dokora.
The Ministry has said that there is a deficit of 2,056 schools with the country facing hurdles in building new infrastructure.
The 83 schools are expected to be built through joint ventures between private players and the government, while a $20 million loan facility has been secured from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for the construction of 17 schools.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said the Ministry will start doing the financial closures for the construction of the 83 schools in the next few weeks. Dokora said this while addressing delegates at the hand-over ceremony of the China-Africa Friendly Primary School in Lupane on Saturday.
He emphasised the need to locate the food for work programmes in the rural provinces at schools so as to speed up the projects with the assistance from the communities. "The Ministry has identified sites for the roll out of 83 schools to be built in the country and in the next few weeks we should begin to do the financial closures for the projects.
"We expect the schools to be sited in such a way that we can support the schools' development. We want the school sites to be used as food for work sites where the community can converge for food for work programmes and receive their food rations," said the Minister.
He said the country needs to make rapid progress in the construction of schools to reduce the distances walked by school children to school, especially in rural areas.
"The government has proclaimed that the public works department should escalate the food for work programme being supervised by DDF. Of the 83 schools I'm aware that some of them are located in this district. The food for work programme should therefore assist in the construction of these schools," said the Minister.
He emphasised on the need to develop Lupane as it was the capital of Matabeleland North Province.
"Lupane must grow and our provincial directorate must be located in this town. I'm aware that Members of Parliament in the relevant Portfolio Committee came here and one of their observations relates to the scarcity of social services to enable this town to grow. In a small way this school and the other schools to follow is one of our ways of saying we want the town to grow," said Minister Dokora.
He acknowledged that lack of teachers' accommodation was a serious challenge. "We're aware of the fact teachers' houses are a challenge. The town board should exercise its mandate. We must deal with this problem head on. "We need more open land and stands so that when we embark on those joint ventures we should make sure teachers have accommodation. We must look after our teachers because education is important," said Minister Dokora.
The Ministry has said that there is a deficit of 2,056 schools with the country facing hurdles in building new infrastructure.
Source - the herald
