Universities urged to spread to districts

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
ZANU-PF Mangwe legislator, Cde Obedingwa Mguni, has called on universities and colleges to decentralise their operations to districts in order to make their services more accessible. Speaking during a Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education-organised Mangwe District Careers Day at Phakamani High School in Plumtree on Friday, Cde Mguni urged colleges to open satellite centres in small towns. Cde Mguni who is also Home Affairs Deputy Minister said the satellite facilities could introduce courses relevant to each area.

“There is a need for tertiary institutions to come closer to communities so that they are accessible to more people and so that they can enrol more students. They can open satellites that can offer courses which are relevant to the particular area.

“For example Mangwe District is a mining district and a livestock rearing area. Practical courses in mining and animal husbandry as well as agriculture related courses therefore can be relevant,’’ said Cde Mguni.

He said secondary school pupils would be motivated to attain higher levels of education with tertiary institutions in their vicinity. Cde Mguni raised concern over the small number of pupils from Matabeleland involved in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programme.

He said there was a need to upgrade rural schools to ensure that they offered Science subjects. “Few pupils from the Matabeleland region are benefiting from the STEM programme as most of the high school graduates don’t qualify. A number of rural schools don’t have laboratories and therefore they can’t churn out science pupils.

“For example in Mangwe there are 16 secondary schools and only two are offering science subjects at Advanced Level and they are mission schools. Qualified teachers also shun these schools that don’t have facilities and as a result there is a need to equip these rural schools,’’ said Cde Mguni.

Speaking at the same event, Mangwe District Education Officer, Headman Mpofu urged various institutions exhibiting at the expo to visit remote schools in order to impart knowledge on various career paths.

He said career guidance programmes played a great role in helping shape the future of learners. “Career programs really help pupils to plan for their future. They also act as a source of inspiration for pupils to enrol in various colleges and universities and pursue particular courses.

“It’s however unfortunate that because of resource constraints, when such programmes are held it is only a few schools that can finance their pupils to attend,’’ said Cde Mpofu. The careers day was held under the theme Mindset shift, a self assurance for job security and economic empowerment.