San school commissioned

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter

THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has commissioned Mtshina Primary School in Tsholotsho District, the first to cater exclusively for the San Community.

The school will see the San community accessing education easily as previously children were walking more than 10 kilometres to the nearest schools. Speaking at the commissioning on Friday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Tumisang Thabela said the new school will ensure that the children in San community have access to education like everyone else in the country.

“May I point out that the construction of Mtshina Primary School has reduced the distance that learners around this area have been walking to the two schools around. Before the construction of the school, learners were walking more than 10km either to Sikente Primary to the east or to Butabubili Primary to the west,” she said.

Mrs Thabela said walking such long distances was discouraging learners from attending school, especially those in Early Childhood Development. Some of the children would give up on school.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, I want to express my gratitude to Plan International, who worked in collaboration with the Norwegian offices, for funding the construction of Mtshina Primary School. It also gives me pleasure to announce that Plan International has already mobilised resources for the construction of Mtshina Secondary School and this will go a long way in providing access to secondary school for learners from Mtshina and Butabubili Primary Schools. Education plays a critical role in the transformation of livelihoods in today societies,” said Mrs Thabela.