Mashonaland East modern school complete

MASHONALAND East province is expected to officially open its first modern school that was built in Chikomba district along Harare-Chivhu Highway.

Makumimavi Primary School is the province's first modern school and one of the 17 being constructed in rural areas courtesy of the $20m provided by the OPEC Fund for the International Development (OFID).

On Friday, Primary and Secondary Education ministry permanent secretary Tumisang Thabela toured the infrastructure.

Addressing parents who had converged at the school, Thabela said the modern school project is meant to address the shortage of schools in the country.

"This school is one of the 17 schools being constructed countrywide by government. Of the 17 learning institutions, 11 of them are primary, while six of them are secondary schools. As a nation we are short of more than 2 000 schools. We are expecting to start using the schools this September. This is the standard of schools that we need in this country so that our children will have a safe and reliable learning place," she said.

A modern school consists of a computer lab and a library in primary schools among other beneficial structures, which is in line with the new curriculum.

Children, mainly in new resettlement areas, are learning in tobacco barns, under trees and makeshift structures, with government acknowledging that there is need to construct more schools across the country. Moreover, rural teachers have been facing a deficit of houses with some squatting in farmhouses.

Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to officially launch the modern schools project in Gokwe at the end of this month.

Once implemented, the programme is set to reduce the deficit of schools with government claiming that about 100 modern schools will be complete by year end.