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Rutendo Gomwe and Mutsawashe Mashandure-Youth Interactive Correspondents
About three Herentals district primary schools received textbooks from the 54 000 purchased books by the founder, owner and group chief executive of Herentals Group of Colleges Dr Innocent Benza in partnership with the Central Bank of Zimbabwe(CBZ).
The textbooks are meant to improve the learner’s literacy level before they proceed to grade three.
Beneficiaries were Herentals Chitungwiza, Southlands and Zengeza.
According to the school officials other provinces are to benefit as well.
This comes after the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education worked to strengthen foundational learning in line with the tenets of the Transforming Education Agenda.
This is meant to enhance children’s foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
In a bid to ascertain the level of literacy among children transitioning into grade three, the ministry undertakes research each year on internal assessment, the Zimbabwe Early Learning Assessment (ZELA).
Speaking during the distribution of textbooks to one of the schools in Chitungwiza recently, District Schools Inspector (DSI) of Chitungwiza district Mr Isaac Kureva said the major target was for the learners to improve their literacy level before proceeding to grade three.
“Every learner needs a textbook, and most of the books are written in line with the new based curriculum, and without the textbooks were would they get the literature, most learners with money are using ICT but textbooks should be there.
“We don’t want our pupils to proceed to grade three without being able to read, it’s now a policy that a child should be able to read before they proceed to grade three, each child should have his or her textbook.
The ratio must be one as to one so that learners have more time to read on their own and have more access to information,” he said.
College management committee Fainos Madhumbu said as a group of schools they have it mandatory for learners to access textbooks.
“As Herentals group of schools and colleges we have realised the need to equip our teachers and also to ensure that students access text books for the new curriculum, we have purchased 54000 textbooks as a way of giving back to the community because we’ll be attending to communities in almost all provinces in Zimbabwe which are going to be benefiting from this exercise”
“It’s going to ensure hands on as students will be having access to the reading materials, the policy from the ministry is that no pupil is supposed to go up to grade 3 without being in a position to read and write so this is going to ensure and enhance that the policy is achieved,” he said.
Online Reporter