The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi
THE issue of corruption in schools around ECD and Form 1 places is not a hot potato in Manicaland only, but nationwide. The question received serious and professional attention from the Provincial Education Director Mr Edward Shumba in an exclusive end-of-year interview on Diamond FM recently.
The silent warfare between parents and school heads about corruption involved over several issues in the schools is not artificial. The issues are neither humorous nor trivial. The PED was on point about all of them. He told school heads to be reasonable about the demands they make from economically hard-hit parents whose children seek ECD or Form 1 places.
The PED said there was no way parents could amass and avail all the items demanded by the school at once.
Answering the question what sense there was to ask all ECD infants to each bring a guitar, a leather ball and of all things, winter uniforms, in these blistering hot summer days, the PED did not mince his words.
“Rome was not built in one day. Headmasters must plan to have just enough material to make learning possible,” he said. This is what we did when we went to school a long…long time ago. Make sure there is enough to get started as parents buy more. It is certainly not reasonable to demand that every item be bought and made available at once.”
Asked about alleged corruption in schools from school heads who literally sell places for students, the PED went ballistic and he fired warning shots.
“Report all corruption to me and I will deal with culprits accordingly. The problem I meet is that many parents who complain refuse to stand by their word and prove the corruption when asked to do so. Many parents once quizzed seriously about acts of untoward behaviour by a school head or outright alleged corruption go back into their shell claiming their child will be victimised. What can I do about parents who chicken away and refuse to stand up to the occasion when I ask them who was corrupt and how?”
Mr Shumba said it took two to tango and oftentimes it was the corrupt parent who offered the bribe for a place. If another corrupt parent offers a heftier bribe and the first criminal loses it, he or she goes mad and says school heads are corrupt. Yes, they may be corrupt. I cannot rule out such rot. There are always bad apples in every bunch. But where is the parent’s incorruptibility? Where is your dignity and integrity? Stop offering them bribes . . . simple! ”
The PED, however, clearly outlined the protocol to follow if any parent had a misunderstanding or altercation with a school head.
“Take your case to the District Schools Inspector,” he said. We have seven of them in each of our seven districts in Manicaland. If you are not satisfied or you suspect the two are colluding, bring it straight to me. I will summon the school head and the DSI, but most of all I want to rely on your courage to stand up to the occasion and state your case. I will follow procedures to bring corrupt elements to book.”
In a wide-ranging serious engagement with the radio anchor, Mr Shumba shaded light on several other issues.
He advised parents to desist from skipping demographic boundaries for their children’s school.
“Keep to these demographic locations. Do not use corrupt means to cross borders because you want your child to be at school A or school B. This is another source of the alleged corruption problem. What do children from Dangamvura, Hobhouse and Sakubva want at Mutare Junior School, for example? Are there no schools within their demographic locations? Inga wani Dangamvura Primary, St Joseph’s and several others are doing extremely well in their locations?” he asked.
About the change of complexion of the 2019 Grade 7 examinations where the traditional high achievers were embarrassingly pushed to the back burner by dark horses, the PED had this to say:
He said though the pass rate was certainly slightly lower than last year nationally (46,9 percent) the quality of passes was much higher. He revealed that in 2018 there were 289 Grade 7 learners with 5 units in their examination results against 443 this year . . . 2019. The PED also revealed that while last year the record was 35 five-units, this year there was a school (John Cowie in Rusape) with 51 five-units.
“I’m obviously extremely excited about this score . . . brilliant performance! I still have to hear from my colleagues in other provinces if there is anyone to dare us on that result.”
Mr Shumba concluded his address to teachers, parents and students in Manicaland by wishing all of them a happy Christmas . . . a prosperous and enterprising New Year.
The PED gladly accepted the invitation to be on the Diamond FM Radio programme, Head to Head with MM, at least once every school term in 2020 to address the province on the state of education and to give answers to critical questions to do with Education in Manicaland.
