adminLovemore Kadzura Rusape Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has provided $500 000 for the construction of Lawrencedale School in Headlands as part of a scheme under which 17 state-of-the-art primary and secondary schools will be built in newly-resettled areas across the country.
A private contractor has since been engaged for the construction work that is already underway.
“The programme is targeting schools in resettlement areas most of which are conducting lessons in substandard farm structures. Lawrencedale opened in 2003 and converted disused tobacco barns into classrooms. It has one of the worst infrastructures in the district. It has a land size of 17 hectares.
“The tobacco barns are not being upgraded, but the construction is starting anew and standard face bricks are being used.
“The school will have an administration block, library, computer block, an Early Childhood Development centre, several teachers’ houses, a borehole among other classroom blocks.
“We expect that construction of the school will be complete by October because all the resources required are available. It will be a model school that will make the implementation of the revised curriculum a possibility,” Lawrencedale Primary School headmaster Mr Martin Chaburumunda said.
He added that the modern infrastructure would help boost enrolment at the school, which currently stands at 491 pupils.
The Government’s school construction programme will be focusing on the resettlement areas where substandard structures are being used as classrooms and staff houses.
In some of the areas there are no schools at all forcing children of school-going age to stay at home while in some instances pupils are travelling very long distances to attend school.
Lawrencedale School was Manicaland province’s pilot school that will be upgraded into a state-of-the-art institution.
Makoni Rural District Council chief executive Dr Edward Pise said the school would be in its own league.
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