Vusumuzi Dube
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE Government says it is going to make use of the zoning policy that stipulates that learners should access education between five and 10 kilometres away from their homes in the absorption of those returning from South Africa in June this year.
An influx of learners are expected with other Zimbabwean returnees from South Africa following the expiration of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) on 30 June. Director of Advocacy and Communication in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr Taungana Ndoro said learners will be absorbed into schools nearest to their homes.
“Children from the community should be given first preference in order to attend the school closest to them at a maximum of 5km on foot or commuting. It is not ideal that a child living in Nketa for example, attends school in Kumalo suburb, why must a child cross-town as if there are no schools in Nketa. Zoning will be intensified and enhanced to ensure that our enrolments are for those within the community,” stressed Mr Ndoro.
The Ministry said every school was supposed to be a feeder or have a catchment area of five kilometres to 10km at maximum.
“When it becomes 20km it becomes absurd and tedious for the learner and everybody else, unless it is a boarding school.
“Again, some of these learners may enroll at boarding facilities, we have a whole dormitory not having been occupied at Milton Junior, for example, go to Gifford and Milton Boys High School, there are boarding places not occupied. Perhaps they may not take it up because of the finances but infrastructure is available,” said Mr Ndoro.
Turning to bullying in schools Mr Ndoro spoke of the death of a Hamilton High School learner who committed suicide saying his death was not entirely caused by bullying.–@NyembeziMu
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