Government vows to increase education sector financing to meet global targets

PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister, Torerayi Moyo, has announced the Government’s commitment to increasing domestic financing of the education sector, to meet the internationally agreed target of 20 percent by 2025.

Speaking at the Global Action Week for Education 2024 (Gawe 2024) commemorations at Chedope Primary School in Zvishavane on Friday, Minister Moyo highlighted the Government’s recognition that adequate funding is vital to address the diverse needs of the education system and ensure equitable access to quality education for all.

Gawe is celebrated worldwide and advocates and holds special importance as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE).

Despite allocating 18 percent of the national budget to education last year, the Government will continue to increase funding to reach the 20 percent threshold.

As a proportion of gross domestic product, the education budget represented 2,3 percent in 2023 compared to 2,1 percent in 2021.

“I wish to re-affirm the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s dedication to fulfilling the promises made by President Mnangagwa to abide by the Kenyatta Declaration on Education Financing,” said Minister Moyo.

“In line with the Incheon Declaration, which calls for governments to allocate 20 percent of the national budget to education, our ministry is committed to reaching this threshold. While our current budget stands at 18 percent, we are resolute in our efforts to achieve the 20 percent target by 2025.”

Minister Moyo said Gawe plays a pivotal role in raising awareness of the importance of education.

“For Zimbabwe, this is particularly important since education is one of the key sectors, which has a role to play towards the realisation of National Development Goals such as the country’s envisioned prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income status by the year 2030,” he said.

Minister Moyo said education is important for the country’s goals, including the Sadc region and the entire continent as it assists in attaining the realisation of the “Sadc We Want and the African Union’s Agenda 2063”.

He said collaborative efforts by the Government with its partners such as the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (Ecozi), are centred on transformative education.

“We aim to challenge narrow conceptions that view education solely as a set of learning outcomes. Instead, transformative education fosters social justice, sustainable development and individual and collective freedom. It is this vision that lies at the heart of our ministry’s focus,” said Minister Moyo.