Source: Govt should fund education sector – DailyNews Live
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s education sector is in deep crisis, hence the need for
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to fund the sector, former
Primary and Secondary Education minister David Coltart has said.
His comments come as education funding in the country has remained
critical with the sector relying mostly on donors.
Coltart believes one of the most disturbing aspects of Zanu PF’s policies
is the low priority they give to education.
“Teachers in Zimbabwe are treated and paid appallingly and in real terms
the sector is grossly underfunded. The education sector is in a deepening
crisis. This must change,” Coltart wrote on his twitter account.
“Meeting with Jamie Saavedra director of Global Practice of Education in
@WorldBank . I raised the need for national governments to revise their
budgetary priorities to make education an actual priority. So many
governments simply pay lip service to making education number 1,” added
Coltart.
Some schools are struggling to get adequate resources to buy necessities
that include chalk, learners’ as well as teachers’ books over and above
other requirements like furniture and sports equipment which forced most
of schools to foot extra costs, which they had not budgeted for.
To make matter worse government introduced a new curriculum which has
overstretched parents’ budgets as they have to buy extra learning
materials beyond the reach of many.
Teachers complain, for example, that the new curriculum is complex and
involves a myriad of new demands, new technologies for all schools, while
the majority of institutions in the rural areas lack the requisite
infrastructure and most teachers were not computer literate.
During a Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Financing Conference,
outgoing Primary and Secondary Education minister Paul Mavima said donors
have pledged to finance the country’s struggling education sector.
Mavima added that Mnangagwa’s government was determined to improve the
country’s education sector. “Zimbabwe has provided for the attainment of
fit for purpose outcome by all learners at quality schools and with
competent teachers,” Mavima said early this year.
“Central to the goal is implementation of a new curriculum framework and
the education sector strategic plan 2016 to 2020.”
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