Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo [email protected]
A total of 171 primary schools and 31 secondary schools in Bulawayo are operating without registration, according to an Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) report compiled by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education last year.
The findings come amid growing concern over the rapid expansion of schools, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, where demand for education has outpaced regulatory processes.
Bulawayo has 252 registered primary and 99 secondary schools.
Nationally, the report indicates that Zimbabwe has 11 793 schools, comprising 8 308 primary schools (70.4 percent) and 3 485 secondary schools (29.6 percent). Of these, a significant number remain outside the formal registration framework.
At primary level, 6 045 schools are registered, while 894 operate as satellite institutions and 1 369 are unregistered. At secondary level, 2 557 schools are registered, 697 are satellite schools, and 231 remain unregistered.
Provincial analysis shows that Manicaland has the highest number of registered primary schools at 867, followed by Masvingo (814) and Midlands (774). Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West also recorded substantial numbers, with 740 and 623 registered primary schools respectively.
However, Manicaland also leads in the number of unregistered primary schools at 349, followed by Mashonaland Central (226), Mashonaland West (160) and Midlands (155). These provinces account for a significant share of unregistered institutions nationwide.
Despite being highly urbanised, Bulawayo (171) and Harare (137) also recorded notable numbers of unregistered primary schools. The trend is largely attributed to population growth in peri-urban areas, where the establishment of learning institutions has outpaced formal registration processes.
At secondary level, Manicaland Province again tops the list with 343 registered schools, followed closely by Harare (340), Mashonaland East (338) and Masvingo (334), reflecting a relatively balanced distribution across the country.
Unregistered secondary schools are fewer in comparison, suggesting stronger regulatory compliance at this level. Mashonaland East (42) and Mashonaland Central (39) recorded the highest numbers, followed by Mashonaland West (37), Manicaland (33) and Bulawayo (31).
In contrast, Matabeleland North (2), Matabeleland South (6) and Masvingo (10) reported the lowest numbers of unregistered secondary schools, indicating near-universal compliance in those provinces.
