Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary, Tumisang Thabela has admitted that the ministry is buckling under pressure due to under-funding consequentially hindering delivery of education services in the country.

Speaking at a policy dialogue convened in Harare by UNICEF in conjunction with the Ministry of primary and secondary education, Thabela said there is a deficit of schools.

The revelation by Thabela lays bare challenges currently bedeviling the education sector which have witnessed teachers threatening to abandon classes over poor working conditions and remuneration.

Poor working conditions compounded by lack of schools’ infrastructure have led to teachers travelling across borders seeking greener pastures.

Last year, Parliament expressed concern with the current infrastructure with some classrooms of schools in rural areas made up of pole and dagga.

Parliamentarians also revealed that the ministry had failed to utilise over ZW$4.6 million that was allocated to it by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube for construction of schools last year.

Natural hazards have also been witnessed schools in areas like Gokwe whose classrooms were destroyed by rainfall but have not been refurbished due to lack of funding.

In a bid to lighten the current crisis, government has established satellite schools but they are falling short in accommodating the excess number of children.

Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Economics Society president Nigel Chanakira called on government and private players to collaborate in alleviating infrastructure challenges dogging the education sector.

He said the budget ratio of the Ministry is worrisome as it fails to tackle infrastructure problems of schools.

Nigel Chanakira said the 90 to 10 ratio is somewhat still worrisome because 90 percent is going to the current expenditure in terms of salaries and associated expenditures while wholly 10 percent going towards infrastructure development.

He added that as a society, there is an awareness of demands of new schools with a deficit of 3 000 schools.

Zimbabwe Education Ministry Bemoans Lack of Funding As Shortage of Schools Soars

Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary, Tumisang Thabela has admitted that the ministry is buckling under pressure due to under-funding consequentially hindering delivery of education services in the country.

Speaking at a policy dialogue convened in Harare by UNICEF in conjunction with the Ministry of primary and secondary education, Thabela said there is a deficit of schools.

The revelation by Thabela lays bare challenges currently bedeviling the education sector which have witnessed teachers threatening to abandon classes over poor working conditions and remuneration.

Poor working conditions compounded by lack of schools’ infrastructure have led to teachers travelling across borders seeking greener pastures.

Last year, Parliament expressed concern with the current infrastructure with some classrooms of schools in rural areas made up of pole and dagga.

Parliamentarians also revealed that the ministry had failed to utilise over ZW$4.6 million that was allocated to it by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube for construction of schools last year.

Natural hazards have also been witnessed schools in areas like Gokwe whose classrooms were destroyed by rainfall but have not been refurbished due to lack of funding.

In a bid to lighten the current crisis, government has established satellite schools but they are falling short in accommodating the excess number of children.

Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Economics Society president Nigel Chanakira called on government and private players to collaborate in alleviating infrastructure challenges dogging the education sector.

He said the budget ratio of the Ministry is worrisome as it fails to tackle infrastructure problems of schools.

Nigel Chanakira said the 90 to 10 ratio is somewhat still worrisome because 90 percent is going to the current expenditure in terms of salaries and associated expenditures while wholly 10 percent going towards infrastructure development.

He added that as a society, there is an awareness of demands of new schools with a deficit of 3 000 schools.

Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has directed education officers and quality controllers to visit all schools and libraries to identify unethical books being used by the institutions.

The government directives follow complaints by some stakeholders that some books being used in some schools are immoral.

The call was made in Dar es Salaam by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Francis Michael in a meeting with secondary and primary education officers and quality controllers from Dar es Salaam.

The Permanent Secretary cautioned some school officials against barring government officials, especially education officers to conduct inspections in their institutions.

He said that he received a call from the Commissioner of Education, informing that some schools have denied education officers entry to inspect them, especially private schools.

Michael added that, the Commissioner is the one who provide permits for running schools thus if they refuse to be inspected it raises doubts over the school operations.

He noted that, although some schools have policies which restrict any one to enter the school but it is different when it comes to government officials.

Dr Michael added that, although some schools rejected the pupils from being interviewed unless they are permitted by their parents, the ministry was waiting for the Commissioner’s report so that it can take action against such institution.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille says she will lobby for more money for her department’s bursary programme so more learners can continue their studies in the field of the built environment.

The bursary programme forms part of the Skills Pipeline Programme where pupils are encouraged at high school level to start considering careers in the built environment.

The bursaries are awarded to pupils in need of financial assistance, who display excellence and have been accepted for courses in the built environment for their tertiary education.

Speaking at the bursary award-giving ceremony in Pretoria, de Lille congratulated the 2022 matriculating class on the achievement of completing their school career.

She told the learners that the last three years at school were challenging but today they can be proud of themselves because they have reached a big milestone.

De Lille encouraged the bursary recipients to continue to work hard in their tertiary education so that they can become a successful part of the country.

The DPWI bursary programme has benefitted 452 students since 2014 including the recent 72, which brings the total to 524 beneficiaries.

The total value of the bursaries awarded this year is estimated at R165 000 per student per year.

Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni, speaking at the event, said more female students should be given the opportunity to be involved in the built environment.

Of the total number of this year’s bursary recipients, 42 are females.

As part of building a capable and ethical state, the DPWI annually awards bursaries to pupils in need of financial assistance.

The programme further aims to increase the number of built environment professionals and ensure transformation of the sector.

The programme serves as a feeder to the department’s Internship and Young Professionals Programme and later forms a pool of qualified built environment professionals to serve the state in the delivery of infrastructure projects.