Zimbabwe secures US$20 million to construct 120 schools

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has secured US$20 million from international partners, with additional funding from the Treasury, as the Government aims to construct 120 new schools and 300 classrooms this year to address the country's critical infrastructure shortages.

Zimbabwe faces a deficit of approximately 3,000 schools, leading to the proliferation of illegal learning institutions. To mitigate this crisis, the Government has adopted a multi-sectoral approach to expedite the construction of schools across the nation.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo disclosed this development in the National Assembly while responding to concerns raised in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education's report on school infrastructure. The committee had highlighted numerous challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, lack of basic amenities, absence of disability-friendly facilities, and delays in project completion due to funding constraints.

Minister Moyo assured Parliament that the Government is making significant strides in addressing these concerns to ensure quality education for all learners.

"I must mention that in the 2025 calendar year, we have secured adequate resources to construct new schools. We are targeting not less than 120 new schools," he stated.

He further elaborated that funding for 30 schools had already been received from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion through the National Building Society (NBS). The NBS model, previously used in university infrastructure projects such as those at Chinhoyi University of Technology, will now be extended to build schools across Zimbabwe's ten provinces.

Additionally, the Ministry has partnered with international organisations, including the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), which has committed US$20 million to fund the construction of 50 schools. Of these, 40 will be day schools while 10 will be boarding schools.

Minister Moyo emphasized that the new schools will be strategically located in areas where students currently have to travel long distances. He pointed out that international conventions recommend that learners should not have to travel more than five kilometres to school.

"According to international conventions, learners should not travel more than five kilometres, so priority will be given to areas where learners are walking more than five kilometres to the nearest school," he said.

The Ministry will collaborate with Members of Parliament to identify areas most in need of new schools. As part of the 2025 national budget, the Government has allocated resources for constructing 100 schools, while private sector partnerships and individual contributions will help reach the 120-school target for the year. Minister Moyo also confirmed that funds have been secured for the construction of an additional 300 classrooms to accommodate the growing student population.

Meanwhile, the Government is also rolling out plans to support schools with funding for income-generating projects. Minister Moyo noted that many schools lack sustainable revenue streams, prompting the Ministry to introduce capacity-building programs for school development committee members.

"The Ministry is working on evaluating the establishment and operations of commercial ventures at schools. It will also intensify training efforts focusing on project continuity and sustainability to enable school development committees to mobilize resources effectively," he said.

The Government's commitment to addressing school infrastructure challenges marks a crucial step towards improving education access and quality in Zimbabwe.