adminA FEW weeks ago I was in the lower Chipinge and Buhera districts where winter has lowered temperatures a bit but not added a drop of water in the dry rivers and streams. The heat has significantly lowered, but not the dryness. At a number of schools I found stray goats nibbling on the scattered thorn-tree leaves around the school which are the only flowers to talk about here. While at some schools where water and heat are not a problem, you see not only lush grass but also ornamental flowering plants, from the bluebell, the foxglove, tulip, primrose and hollyhock.
At Emerald Primary School, it may be possible to draw water from Chinyika River and put up flourishing Agriculture lessons. The same with Nyamure Primary School, it may draw water from Tanganda. Rebai and Chinaa Primary can draw theirs from Nyagadza.
It is primary schools like Kondo, Mwacheta and Musapingura which experience more sand bowls than rain which need thinking about. How does a primary school in the Ogaden or Kalahari Desert develop a vision of compulsory Agriculture lessons without defying the law of common sense? There are hundreds of such schools in Zimbabwe.
How does a school whose major problem is drinking water celebrate the idea of compulsory Agriculture? While it is not impossible, because miracles do happen, the idea certainly poses serious challenges in thought.
Everybody sees the Ministry of Primary and Secondary School’s nobility of thought. It is grand and wise. No doubt about that! What it seems to lack is the foresight in the vision.
If pupils bring small cans and bottles of drinking water to school from home, who will find wisdom in carrying jerry-cans to sustain Agriculture lessons which are impossible to conduct without water?
What is most scaring is the compulsory nature of this wonderful idea and the number of primary schools existing on typical desert conditions. Well, because we are dealing very smart creative-minded strategists in education planning, may be they already have the money to sink boreholes at every primary school in need, or are ready to purchase and donate water-bowsers. Perhaps even introduce high-tech irrigation schemes at every rural school!
We want to believe all these fears were envisaged and taken care of before the announcement of compulsory Agriculture in primary schools. May be if the EU has not already promised donor funding to this effect, the AU is ready to lend a helping hand. It is always the intellectually meek and poor who often see doubt in ventures and plans that are already successful on the minds of optimistic pragmatists.
We will never get tired of asking questions as long as wonderful ideas fall short of implementation clarity. We can also assure ourselves and everyone else the reserved stamina and civility to give a standing ovation where it is deserved.
Online Reporter