News / National
Mphoko urges villagers to prioritise education
23 Jun 2017 at 06:42hrs | Views
VICE President Phelekezela Mphoko has urged parents in rural areas to prioritise sending their children to school after noting that some schools have low enrolments as some children are not being sent to learn.
In a speech that was read on his behalf by the Minister of Rural Development and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage, Abednico Ncube, at the official opening of Peace and Good Hope Primary School in Figtree, VP Mphoko said enrolment of pupils remains a challenge in resettlement areas.
"The existence of this school is a huge development for this community. The onus is now on parents to send their children to school with all the necessary resources so that they can succeed.
"The pass rate of each school is determined by both parents and teachers.
"To those parents who made children drop out of school citing long distances as an excuse, I direct you to make sure your children go back to school this year," he said.
VP Mphoko also emphasised the importance of public private community partnerships for communities to develop.
He urged rural communities to utilise community ownership trust funds to undertake developmental projects in their areas.
Speaking at the same event, Family Impact Project Manager, Ms Kudzai Mutanga, said $105 000 was used to build three classroom blocks, secure furniture and erect a perimeter fence around three classroom blocks at Peace and Good Hope Primary School.
She said her company sourced the funds from different investors in a bid to promote quality education in rural communities.
The school headmaster, Mr Master Nsingo, said the school opened in 2002 with an enrolment of 80 pupils learning from pole and dagga huts while sitting on the floor.
He said the school now has an enrolment of 212.
"The school still needs a library, computers, administration block and a school bus among other things. We would like to appeal to various stakeholders to assist in this regard," Mr Nsingo said.
Bulilima Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Brown Ncube, said the new school, which is situated in a resettlement area, will help reduce distances walked by pupils.
He said there was a need for a secondary school in the area.
"This ward has got three primary schools which are under construction but it doesn't have a secondary school.
"The challenge being faced in Bulilima District especially in resettlement areas is that villages are situated far apart and as a result pupils are forced to walk long distances to schools.
"A number of pupils from Figtree Ward who complete their Grade Seven studies from the area are not proceeding to secondary education because the place doesn't have a feeder school," he said.
Mr Ncube appealed to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to ensure that each ward has a secondary school.
In a speech that was read on his behalf by the Minister of Rural Development and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage, Abednico Ncube, at the official opening of Peace and Good Hope Primary School in Figtree, VP Mphoko said enrolment of pupils remains a challenge in resettlement areas.
"The existence of this school is a huge development for this community. The onus is now on parents to send their children to school with all the necessary resources so that they can succeed.
"The pass rate of each school is determined by both parents and teachers.
"To those parents who made children drop out of school citing long distances as an excuse, I direct you to make sure your children go back to school this year," he said.
VP Mphoko also emphasised the importance of public private community partnerships for communities to develop.
He urged rural communities to utilise community ownership trust funds to undertake developmental projects in their areas.
Speaking at the same event, Family Impact Project Manager, Ms Kudzai Mutanga, said $105 000 was used to build three classroom blocks, secure furniture and erect a perimeter fence around three classroom blocks at Peace and Good Hope Primary School.
She said her company sourced the funds from different investors in a bid to promote quality education in rural communities.
The school headmaster, Mr Master Nsingo, said the school opened in 2002 with an enrolment of 80 pupils learning from pole and dagga huts while sitting on the floor.
He said the school now has an enrolment of 212.
"The school still needs a library, computers, administration block and a school bus among other things. We would like to appeal to various stakeholders to assist in this regard," Mr Nsingo said.
Bulilima Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Brown Ncube, said the new school, which is situated in a resettlement area, will help reduce distances walked by pupils.
He said there was a need for a secondary school in the area.
"This ward has got three primary schools which are under construction but it doesn't have a secondary school.
"The challenge being faced in Bulilima District especially in resettlement areas is that villages are situated far apart and as a result pupils are forced to walk long distances to schools.
"A number of pupils from Figtree Ward who complete their Grade Seven studies from the area are not proceeding to secondary education because the place doesn't have a feeder school," he said.
Mr Ncube appealed to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to ensure that each ward has a secondary school.
Source - chronicle
