News / Education
Govt to construct 17 state-of-the-art schools
29 Oct 2017 at 07:33hrs | Views
WORK on the construction of 17 state-of-the-art schools countrywide is expected to start next month, a Government official has revealed.
Initially, the Government had targeted to start construction of the schools in June this year. Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima last week said 166 schools will be constructed next year. In a statement, Prof Mavima said a model school whose template would be used for the other new schools was nearing completion. He said the model, representing a modern school, comes with all amenities including laboratories and teachers' houses.
"Hatcliffe Friendship High School is nearing completion. This is the school of now, the new standard we are implementing.
"Construction will start on 17 (other schools) throughout the country in November. In 2018 we will go full throttle with 166 constructed. This model comes complete with all amenities, labs, computers, internet connectivity and teachers' housing," he said.
Prof Mavima said the construction of additional schools was meant to ensure that every child in the country has access to quality education.
"Every part of the country should be affirmed. No community and no child should be left behind," he said.
The 17 schools will be constructed under a $20 million grant from the Opec Fund for International Development (Ofid).
A joint venture partnership has also been established for the construction of the 166 school set to start next year.
Construction of the schools is part of the Government's target to set up an additional 2 056 schools countrywide to meet the growing demands for education. The country boasts of 8 500 primary and secondary schools.
As at 2013 Zimbabwe had a deficit of 2 056 schools, 1 252 primary schools and 804 secondary schools.
The construction of additional schools is in line with Zim-Asset under the Social Services and Poverty Eradication Cluster where the Government seeks to improve the quality and increase access to education and training at all levels.
Construction of more schools is expected to go a long way in dealing with shortage of learning facilities in the country.
Shortage of schools has seen some schools, particularly in high density suburbs, resorting to double sessions known as hot-sitting and sharing infrastructure.
In rural and farming areas, satellite schools have been established to deal with the challenge of pupils walking long distances to attend class. The satellite schools are often makeshift without adequate infrastructure resulting in some teachers shunning them.
Initially, the Government had targeted to start construction of the schools in June this year. Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima last week said 166 schools will be constructed next year. In a statement, Prof Mavima said a model school whose template would be used for the other new schools was nearing completion. He said the model, representing a modern school, comes with all amenities including laboratories and teachers' houses.
"Hatcliffe Friendship High School is nearing completion. This is the school of now, the new standard we are implementing.
"Construction will start on 17 (other schools) throughout the country in November. In 2018 we will go full throttle with 166 constructed. This model comes complete with all amenities, labs, computers, internet connectivity and teachers' housing," he said.
Prof Mavima said the construction of additional schools was meant to ensure that every child in the country has access to quality education.
"Every part of the country should be affirmed. No community and no child should be left behind," he said.
The 17 schools will be constructed under a $20 million grant from the Opec Fund for International Development (Ofid).
A joint venture partnership has also been established for the construction of the 166 school set to start next year.
Construction of the schools is part of the Government's target to set up an additional 2 056 schools countrywide to meet the growing demands for education. The country boasts of 8 500 primary and secondary schools.
As at 2013 Zimbabwe had a deficit of 2 056 schools, 1 252 primary schools and 804 secondary schools.
The construction of additional schools is in line with Zim-Asset under the Social Services and Poverty Eradication Cluster where the Government seeks to improve the quality and increase access to education and training at all levels.
Construction of more schools is expected to go a long way in dealing with shortage of learning facilities in the country.
Shortage of schools has seen some schools, particularly in high density suburbs, resorting to double sessions known as hot-sitting and sharing infrastructure.
In rural and farming areas, satellite schools have been established to deal with the challenge of pupils walking long distances to attend class. The satellite schools are often makeshift without adequate infrastructure resulting in some teachers shunning them.
Source - sundaynews
