Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has called for improved budgetary allocations to ensure adequate learning infrastructure development and better remuneration for teachers if the country is to attain quality education.
The country has a deficit of 3 000 schools, which has resulted in some learning institutions hot seating where some learners attend classes in the morning and others in the afternoon.
There are textbook shortages, resulting in some schools photocopying them in violation of intellectual property and copyright laws.
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenge and at its peak in line with the decongestion policy, some learners were only attending school twice per week.
Access to Internet connectivity and Information Communication Technology gadgets remains a challenge in most schools amid the widening rural/urban gap.
Launching the belated Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) commemorations yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Evelyn Ndlovu said there is a need to allocate more resources to the education sector.
The country’s belated commemorations are running from yesterday to Friday with main celebrations set to be held at Karoi Enterprise Secondary School in Mashonaland West Province.
GAWE is celebrated worldwide annually from April 25 to 29 and this year ran under the theme: “Inclusive planning, sustainable financing and realised rights” and speaks to the monetary needs of the education sector.
“Indeed, there is a need for increased financing in the education sector as the current budget does not meet all the required needs of providing a relevant and quality education service to all eligible clients. The theme comes at an opportune time since the Government, with support from partners, is committed to high-quality education through various means,” she said.
“Recently, Cabinet approved that schools should engage in commercial ventures as both a means of applied learning as well as an education cost-reduction measure,” said Dr Ndlovu.
The minister called for collaborative efforts towards investments in the education sector. She said it was pleasing that Government has committed to improving education budgetary allocations to meet international standards in the next three years while improving teachers’ wages.
“Zimbabwe is committed to support our national education sector by protecting and increasing the share of the national budget dedicated to education towards the 2025 percent global benchmark. In 2021 education’s share was 13,56 percent, and by 2025 our Government has committed to increasing it to 20 percent,” she said.
“The Government has also committed to gradually improving the conditions of service for teachers who are key to the achievement of educational goals as it is fully aware of the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the attendant economic challenges it brought about.”
Dr Ndlovu said the enactment of the Education Amendment Act in 2015 shows Government’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind as far as access to education is concerned.
In a landmark development, the law allows the girl child who falls pregnant or early mothers to remain in schools.
“There has been clarity of discourse pertaining to school drop-outs, especially girls. Early marriage and pregnancy can no longer bring down the curtain on their academic journey, they can return to school and complete their education.
The blended approach to learning and catch-up strategies have realised some efficacy through the complementary use of multiple media platforms such as television, radio, and the internet (where the adoption of both offline and ‘off-air’ programming is being actively pursued in order to close the urban-rural divide and its impact on access to educational services),” said Dr Ndlovu.
She said President Mnangagwa’s interventions have ensured that education does not stop even when the country was threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I wish to express my profound appreciation to the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Cde Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa for his direction and guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected face-to-face learning and teaching. Zimbabwe has taken evident strides towards commitment to leaving no child behind in terms of education,” she said. — @nqotshili
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter