Anational University of Science and Technology (Nust) lecturer has described the state of education in Matabeleland North as miserable, saying most children were enrolled at satellite schools with no proper facilities.
By Our Staff
Everson Ndlovu made the claim during a Matabeleland North Provincial People’s Conference on Socio-Economic and Cultural Rights organised by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) in Bulawayo on Friday.
Ndlovu presented on a topic, “Top 100 schools, ‘O’ and ‘A’ level results: A game of quality of education or a recipe of competition. General challenges within the education system and strategic interventions.”
He said it did not make sense to grade poorly-equipped schools against those who are well-resourced.
“On average, children walk for about 7km to school in Matabeleland North. In Bubi alone, there are 25 satellite schools that do not get per capita grants from government. Of the 17 secondary schools in Bubi, only eight are registered. There are no science laboratories, no internet for teachers to research and there is no electricity,” he said.
Ndlovu blasted government ministers who send their children to schools abroad, saying it showed that the policy makers lacked confidence in the educational system they presided over.
Rural Communities Development Trust vice-chairperson Thembelani Dube said Matabeleland North — with a population of 750 000 — was one of the poorest provinces in the country with only 500 primary schools, 175 secondary schools, with only 14 offering A’ Level.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Service delivery, he said, was very poor, particularly in the area of health, with two nurses servicing about 1 000 patients.
“On average, a clinic in Matabeleland North services eight wards with a radius of 70km,” Dube said.
“The pre-independence [Ian] Smith regime pothole littered Nkayi-Bulawayo and Tsholotsho-Bulawayo strip roads are the best tarred roads that we, as a province, boast about and rely upon to link our homes. The dusty roads to Lupane’s deep rural areas, Nkayi-Gokwe and Tsholotsho Centre-Pelandaba rough dusty roads stretching hundreds of kilometres characterise the transport infrastructure in Matabeleland North.”
Vusimuzi Mahlangu, the Progressive Teachers of Zimbabwe Matabeleland North provincial director said the province had a high staff turnover of teachers because of the conditions of service they were experiencing that included too big classes, walking for long distances to access transport and health facilities, among others.
“As long as teachers are not paid well and live in tough conditions, they don’t give their all. What they are doing is cheating, not teaching,” Mahlangu said.
Some stakeholders raised concern over failure by some pupils to access education because they had no birth certificates after their grandparents were killed during Gukurahundi atrocities.
They urged government to improve service delivery to its citizens.
ZimRights director Okay Machisa said government should meet constitutional requirements such as provision of free basic education.
“The Constitution says free education, but we see the Education minister introducing exam fees for Grade Seven,” Machisa said.
Most MPs said government was facing challenges to meet its mandate and things would improve as soon as the economy picked up.
But Hwange East MP, Wesley Sansole said government had misplaced priorities.
“Government does not prioritise provision of services. We see the president going for a culture summit, that money could have been used to build a school. We have a government that is violating its own Constitution by plundering funds and thereby is unable to provide services to the people.”
President Robert Mugabe was forced to abort a trip to attend a culture festival in India last week reportedly for protocol and security reasons. He flew to Singapore instead where he spent five days and returned home yesterday.
The workshop was attended by MPs, councillors, district administrators and other stakeholders in Matabeleland North Province.
