Online Reporter
Bokang Tlou
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has appealed to private players to invest in building more schools across Zimbabwe, as the country faces a critical shortage of learning institutions, especially in rural areas.
Speaking during a recent question-and-answer session in the Senate, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said the Government alone cannot meet the growing demand for educational infrastructure.
“We want to encourage stakeholders and anyone who wants to invest in education in the construction of infant schools and schools in general, as we still have a shortage, we have a deficit,” he said.
Minister Moyo emphasised the need for new schools to be legally registered so that they can be properly inspected and staffed with qualified teachers.
“We want new schools to be built, to be registered, so that they operate legally, not illegally. We do not want schools that operate illegally, those that are not registered, because the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is the regulator,” he said.
“We want to inspect those schools, to look at the qualifications of teachers, so that we are satisfied with their qualifications and when those have been met, we will register their schools.”
The call came after Beitbridge Senator Tambudzai Mohadi raised concerns that in many rural areas, young learners at the Early Childhood Development (ECD) level are forced to travel long distances to access education.
“If I am to register an ECD teaching place, can I do that from my place in rural areas, especially if we are talking of children who are around four years old, who will be travelling long distances? Are there any preparations regarding how these children can be helped?” Sen Mohadi asked.
Minister Moyo said the ministry is ready to register ECD centres in rural and urban areas, provided they meet set standards to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment.
“For us to register such a centre, certain requirements must be met, which include availability of sanitary facilities, including running water, ablution facilities and that the infrastructure must provide a conducive environment which would enable effective learning to happen,” he said.
The minister said once those conditions are met, his ministry does not hesitate to grant registration
“The circulars that we have are that anyone wishing to register an early childhood centre is supposed to identify a piece of land, whether in rural or urban areas. Then would follow the procedure for registration,” he said.
The Government hopes that by opening the door to private investors and community initiatives, it can reduce the distance young learners must travel to school and improve the overall quality of education in underserved areas.
Statistics show that there were over 4,6 million learners in Zimbabwe. The country’s education system continues to expand due to demographic changes.
As part of implementing Vision 2030 anchored on the National Development Strategy 1(NDS1), the Government has approved the construction of 3 000 new schools by 2025.
derick.khumalo