Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education intends to build 3 000 new schools by 2025, following an increase in demand for education, with 37.3 percent of the country’s estimated population being of school going age, a Government official has revealed.
Addressing a Post Cabinet Media Briefing in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said that more boarding secondary schools were needed as the current ones only accommodate 24 000 learners, a mere 0.52 percent of the current enrolment.
“To cater for the increase in demand for both primary and secondary education and ensure that no child walks more than 5 kilometres to school, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education intends to build 3 000 new schools by 2025. During implementation of the project, more secondary than primary boarding schools will be constructed in an endeavour to satisfy increased demand. Some existing day schools will be converted into boarding schools while some low cost boarding facilities will be constructed at existing schools as the need arises,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She further revealed that the project will be implemented in phases next year starting with the construction of one hundred and forty four (144) model 21st century Government primary and secondary schools spread across all the country’s 10 provinces.
“One primary and one secondary boarding school with adequate state of the art facilities will be constructed in each of the seventy two districts of the country. Adequate furniture and ICT equipment will be procured for each school, while a source of clean potable water will be installed within 500 metres of the school, including a reticulation system and ablution facilities. Each school will be electrified and provided with internet facilities, fenced and civil works in terms of access roads, a car park and landscaping will be undertaken and each school will have enough land for sport infrastructure, commercial farming and manufacturing,” she added.
The Minister revealed that the Treasury will fund the first 144 schools, while Public Private or Joint Venture arrangements will be crafted to assist in the construction of the three thousand new schools required.
Currently there are 9 778 schools, with 6 798 primary and 2 980 secondary schools, and a total enrolment of 4 659 993. Only 1.9 percent of the 6 798 primary schools are boarding schools with only 35 of these being Government-owned. Of the 2 980 secondary schools, only 10.6 percent are boarding schools and only 60 are owned by Government. The boarding secondary schools can only accommodate 24 000 learners, a mere 0.52 percent of the current enrolment.
