Chiefs bemoan lack of infrastructure in rural schools

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
TRADITIONAL leaders from Matabeleland South Province have said lack of proper infrastructure at rural schools was resulting in some young people losing interest in education, opting to seek employment in neighbouring countries.

Some learners in rural areas have to walk long distances to schools while some are learning in poor infrastructure. Other schools lack basic infrastructure such as laboratories, workshops and sporting facilities.

Traditional leaders said there was a need for development of the education sector in rural areas so that rural communities benefit.

Chief Bango from Mangwe District said a lot has to be done to upgrade rural schools.

He said focus should not only be on building new schools to reduce distances walked.

“Constructing more schools in the rural areas is one way of improving the education system but so is equipping and upgrading them.

There is a need for schools to be improved in a manner that will attract the learners and keep them in school as well as influence their parents to send their children to school,” he said.

“At the moment it’s difficult to persuade these youngsters to go to school when they are learning from poor structures that don’t have the necessary infrastructure.

This affects the performance of learners and after completing their education children from urban schools will be well placed than them because of the exposure they would have got at learning stage.

Some youngsters feel let down because of their poor learning conditions and they give up on school to seek employment in the neighbouring countries.

Some feel that success in education is for urban learners.”

He said developing the education sector in rural areas will create a successful breed of graduates who will be role models for other learners.

Chief Masendu from Bulilima District said there is a need for rural schools to be equipped with ICT infrastructure to enable learners to acquire skills that can keep them relevant.

He said a better placed student was one who had access to the information and one of the key sources of information was the internet.

Chief Masendu said there was a need for a drive to computerise most schools in rural areas, construct laboratories and workshops, buy sewing machines and other resources that were required for Science and practical subjects.

“Information reaches late the rural child or not at all because of limited access to information.

In order for these children to be interested in education they have to realise its goodness and its benefits,” he said.

Chief Sitaudze from Beitbridge District said there is also a need to address network challenges being experienced in rural areas to improve learners ‘access to information.

He said communities that stayed close to the border line did not access local networks.

— DubeMatutu