The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
EDUCATION is one of the most powerful investments towards a country’s future since it is the foundation for prosperity and opportunity.
It also strengthens democracy, enriches civic life and serves as a pathway to economic success.
Education promotes empowerment and innovation.
It also creates employment, hence education is a key priority.
Against this background, Government has led an education-for-all campaign that saw the construction and upgrading of schools all over the country.
Several universities have also been established countrywide. Starting off with one university at independence, to date the country has close to 20 universities, including two in Manicaland.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Statistics Report of 2021, 958 primary schools and 236 secondary schools were built between 2017 and 2021, taking the total to 10 147.
At least 1 194 primary and secondary schools, averaging about 300 per year, were built countrywide in the last four years in line with the Second Republic’s quest to reduce the distance learners walk to and from school, and ensuring the delivery of quality education to all citizens.
In 2017, there were 6 123 primary schools with 6 071 of them offering ECD facilities and 2 830 secondary schools.
In 2021, the numbers surged to 7 081 primary schools, 7 057 of which offered ECD.
A total of 17 had boarding facilities, while 3 066 were secondary schools, with 61 being boarding schools.
President Mnangagwa recently commissioned Bealuah Heights Primary School in Mutasa
In comparison, in 1980 there were 2 401 primary schools and 177 secondary schools in Zimbabwe, taking the tally to 2 578.
It also comes as the demand for education keeps increasing owing to the expansionary policy embarked on since independence in 1980.
The lack of adequate schools has often exposed parents seeking enrolment for their children to dodgy private school owners.
“Although there was a progressive increase in the number of ECD, primary and secondary schools from 2017 to 2021, the percentage increases did not follow a similar pattern.
“Between 2017 and 2019, there were some year-on-year percentage increases in ECD and primary schools. In contrast, secondary schools had a suppressed percentage increase in 2018,” reads the report.
“Year 2019 had the highest percent increases for the three levels, with a percentage increase of 6.49 percent for ECD, 6.09 percent for primary schools, and 2.89 percent for secondary schools.”
More teachers are being trained.
The number of teachers for Early Childhood Development (ECD) increased significantly between 2017 and 2021, thus reducing the teacher-learner ratio.
Notably, the number of teachers increased annually between 2017 and 2019 for the three levels of the education system.
To date, there are 17 937 ECD teachers, 80 175 primary school teachers, and 48 740 secondary school teachers, taking the tally to 146 852, adds the report.
In Manicaland, at least seven schools were built last year.
Zimpapers has been working hand-in-hand with Government in investing in the education sector. The diversified media group constructed two classroom blocks at Chikukwa Primary School in Chimanimani.
These include Magamba Primary (Rusape), Mahere Secondary School (Nyazura), Nyangani 2 Secondary (Nyanga), Budiriro Primary (Makoni), Chimbudzi Secondary (Buhera), (Rusape), DC Mutasa Secondary (Mutasa) and Raheen-Hobhouse Primary School in Mutare.
They were built under the Public Sector Investment Programme.
Chimbudzi Secondary School is a satellite institution being upgraded into a boarding school, while DC Mutasa Secondary seeks to decongest Pafiwa High School.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s Strategic Plan (2021-2025), the first priority is to improve infrastructure at existing schools to improve access to inclusive, equitable and quality education.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Mr Taungana Ndoro said Government is refurbishing and upgrading dilapidated and damaged infrastructure at 312 schools across the country so that they are more resilient to natural disasters.
“At national level, Government intends to build 3 000 schools as per our strategic plan and Manicaland has its fair share of new schools in areas where there is great need. In the same vein, we are rehabilitating 312 existing schools with dilapidated infrastructure,” said Mr Ndoro.
Unfortunately, some learners are still travelling long distances to access education or stay in backyard boarding facilities.
Developmental partners have intervened by providing low cost boarding facilities in hotspot areas like Rimbi, Beacon, Goko, Rukangare and Checheche High Schools in Chipinge; Mhakwe and Ndima High Schools in Chimanimani and Masase High School in Mutare District.
Chiundu, Dope, Tsindi and Rukweza High Schools in Makoni also require similar boarding facilities to curtail the exploitation of learners in bush boarding facilities.
Manicaland has 207 satellite and farm schools that need upgrading to get registered and attract quality teachers.
Also linked to this is the need to strengthen teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) through the construction of laboratories and workshops.
“We are working together with the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Courier Services to have requisite specialist rooms.
“The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development is also assisting us to streamline STEAM by having it taught at teachers’ colleges,” said Mr Ndoro.
Association of Rural District Councils CEOs chairman, Dr Edward Pise said Government is working tirelessly to improve the situation in the education sector.
He went on to highlight that more funds are still needed to construct proper school infrastructure in resettlement areas.
Dr Pise said Government is currently constructing 17 model schools across the country in resettlement areas, while local authorities are also playing their part.
“RDCs are using devolution funds and their own funding to attend to some schools. Councils presented this issue at national level and Government responded well as it is currently constructing 17 state-of-the-art schools in resettlement areas across the country.
“Teachers are available, but they are not staying at the schools due to non-availability of houses. This is being attended to because it affects their morale and punctuality,” said Dr Pise.
In making sure that everyone has access to education, Government is pouring billions of dollars to ensure the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) becomes holistic and covers uniforms and stationery, among other education-related costs, to give the beneficiaries a fair opportunity for good quality education.
Since the inception of BEAM in 2001, Government has only been catering for tuition and exam fees for the learners, and the other educational needs weighed heavily on the shoulders of resource-poor families.
Things took a positive turn last year when the Second Republic revamped the module after it was noted that while BEAM was helping orphans and vulnerable children, additional funding was needed to enhance their quality of life as they lacked financial support for their food, books and uniforms.
In 2021, BEAM’s reach was 1 369 000 beneficiaries across the country, and these were carried forward to 2022 to ensure that the target of 1,5 million beneficiaries was maintained.
Manicaland has at least 1 280 schools with a total of 453 024 learners, out of which 228 549 are funded through BEAM.
Of the 228 549 beneficiaries, 137 000 are enrolled at primary and 91 420 at secondary schools.
