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Daniel Chigunwe Herald Correspondent
Residents in Mvurwi town, Mashonaland Central Province are calling for the council to implement measures for taking over operations of a school that was closed following the cancellation of its private voluntary organisation (PVO) by the government after it breached regulatory conditions.
Government through the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare ceased operations of the Muslim-run PVO, Direct Aid, in 2021 after it violated the stipulated terms and conditions of its license.
At the time of its closure, the school was accommodating more than 300 learners drawn from the town
However, residents are pushing for the resumption of the learning process under any new approved government authority to alleviate the increasing challenges of enrolment in the town that has only two secondary schools.
Improved access to secondary schools in the town will also tame rising social ills bedeviling the community in the form of child marriages, suicides, alcohol, drugs and sexual abuse.
“We have grown big as a town in the past years. We have a high population in the town which is not equally corresponding with the available secondary schools, we have Mvurwi High School overly enrolled whilst Holy Rosary Secondary also has a limit on the number of learners eligible for enrolment,” said a resident, Mr Gift Chikuse.
“Surrounding farms rely on these two secondary schools too. Hence our appeal is for authorities to make considerations that will allow continuation of school operations for the benefit of our children as we are witnessing a surge in child marriages and drug abuse cases as many children are quitting school at Grade 7 level,” he said.
Some of the nearest secondary schools catering for learners from satellite primary schools are Farai Secondary School along Mutorashanga as well as Mbari along Centenary Road.
“As it stands we have Mvurwi High School having a class with 70-80 pupils which is far above the teacher-to-student ratio meaning that at the end of the day, the quality of education against available learning materials will be poor,” said a parent Mr Robin Banda.
“These high enrolment numbers pose a greater health hazard during this cholera epidemic that schools are opening in, our wish is for the school to be handed to the community, we have all the infrastructure left by Direct Aid on the council land, therefore there should be nothing stopping operations if the government intervenes.”
Mvurwi Residents Association secretary Mr Emmanuel Kampala expressed worry over the delay in dealing with the issue despite clear contractual agreements between the council and Direct Aid.
“We are not questioning the cancellation of the PVO, however, as residents we are worried about why after a year since the cessation of operations there is no significant move that has been taken yet to address the issue.
“We understand that there is an existing agreement between the council and Muslim authorities who were running the school which is clear that in any situation that arises, the school should revert to the council, but it is over a year now and nothing has happened. We have a serious shortage of secondary schools and we have been petitioning the council to build a school in the area,” said Kampala.
Meanwhile, Ward 5 councillor Cde Campion Mugweni confirmed the need for the council to devise measures that can facilitate the re-opening of learning operations to the benefit of the community especially at a time when the town has grown bigger.
“The school is under my ward and during its closure at the time when I was the legislator for the area, Government was clear on its stance relating to the violation of the operating license by Direct Aid, hence its closure is above board.
“For the benefit of the community and according to available agreements, the school should be receded to the council which has to take over operations, we have a lot of players in the education sector that are willing and prepared to invest in the school,” said Cllr Mugweni.
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