‘Gwanda lacks Science teachers’

Richard Muponde, Gwanda Correspondent
THE Minister of State for Matabeleland South, Cde Abednico Ncube, has bemoaned the lack of science teachers in Gwanda District, a situation that has seen science laboratories built in the past three years using Community Ownership Trust funds not being utilised.

Over five schools in the district that were specialising in arts subjects got science laboratories, but they have a new challenge – lack of science teachers.

Addressing a meeting of community leaders in Gwanda, Cde Ncube appealed to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to employ science teachers in the district.

“Yesterday pupils who wanted to do science were going to Umzingwane, Thekwane, David Livingstone and Bulawayo. In Gwanda, pupils who do secondary school education were doing arts subjects only with no sciences. If all pupils major in arts subjects, where will they get jobs? Laboratories have been built, we now want teachers,” said the minister.

He said during his days working for Gwanda Rural District Council and as an MP, most pupils in the district were doing arts subjects and did not qualify for science degrees at university.

“What I have also observed is that although we now have many schools in the district with science laboratories, Gwanda South has no schools with laboratories. That area should be looked into so that schools in these areas get to do science subjects,” Cde Ncube said.

Last week, the government announced that it would pay for all pupils in public schools who will register for science subjects at Advanced Level this year.

The move is meant to promote the learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said in a statement that all high schools that register full Lower Six STEM classes this year will stand a chance to win a state-of-the-art bus and a cash prize of $100 000.