Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
The Government, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), is seized with addressing some of the barriers to equitable education opportunities for all Zimbabweans, an official has said.
Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director (PED), Mr Lifias Masukume said the country was facing a number of challenges that have seen some children failing to access or drop out of school.
He made the remarks during the handover of an assortment of food items donated by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to Mapili and Mudzviti Primary Schools in Beitbridge on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Masukume said the province, with seven districts, had 513 primary and 166 secondary schools and that in some cases children walk for more than 13km to access the nearest learning facilities. He said some of the barriers to education include, hunger, poverty, HIV/Aids, broken down families, disability, natural disasters, violence, and customary practices.
“Our Ministry’s mandate is to provide equitable and quality education and it is a fundamental right which should be enjoyed by every Zimbabwean child all the time regardless of circumstances.
“It is our focus to ensure that all children access education at the right age and complete the education cycle,” said Mr Masukume.
“In addition, these children should access these schools nearer to their homes, but unfortunately the definition of nearest varies from area to area. Here in Matabeleland South, we have children travelling for 13km to school. “Among other interventions to break the barriers to education, the Government has availed grain to most primary schools under the feeding scheme to address hunger-related issues.”
Added Mr Masukume, “This school feeding programme has seen enrolment in Early Childhood Development classes increasing and at the same time we are having positive results in terms of pass rates in other grades.
“Attendance and retention of pupils have been improving over the years in cases where people were dropping out of school because of hunger-related issues. Where children are well-nourished, they tend to concentrate more on their studies”.
The PED said in some cases new schools were being constructed to minimise distances travelled by children.
He commended the First Lady for complementing the Government’s school feeding programme. Mr Masukume said to complement the school feeding programme, some schools were running horticulture projects.
“However, some projects have been affected by drought. As it stands the school feeding program is one good initiative that will go a long way in addressing some of these barriers to education.
“We need to send children to school so that we lay a good foundation for their future,” said the official.
Online Reporter