By Tendai Matunhu

Government is working on prioritising and improving the key pillar of the new curriculum, which is school infrastructure that enables teachers and learners to concentrate on their work and subsequently improve the teaching and learning quality.

Speaking to the media during a press conference, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Ambassador Cain Mathema said the school infrastructure Development was a key pillar of competence-based curriculum.

Ambassador Mathema said, “A key focus of the competence-based curriculum is the development of skills, attitudes and values in addition to knowledge which was the main thrust of the previous curriculum.

“A key pillar of the new curriculum is the development of school infrastructure so that the learners and teachers concentrate on their work in a conducive teaching and learning environment.”

The Minister highlighted that quality teaching and learning and quality outcomes are guaranteed only if the school environment was suitable and this include classroom specialist rooms and teachers’ accommodation.

He added that the provisions for teachers should be in keeping with their status. He said that the main challenge in the past was that once classrooms were built, schools started operating without regard to teachers’ circumstances.

Minister Mathema said the Ministry had the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and personnel at provincial, district and school levels that provide data on school infrastructure issues. He went on to invite Members of Parliament (MP) of both Houses to share any infrastructure challenges they may be having in their constituencies so as to ensure that no school is left behind as Government ensures that all schools bear fruits in their teaching and learning environment.

The Minister went on to say that he wanted to unlock the potential in all schools and that of all learners and teachers.

Government is being true to its word on infrastructural development and it is trying by all means to make education for all manageable by considering the learners and teachers’ welfare. This will ensure the attainment of vision 2030 of Zimbabwe becoming a middle income economy by 2030.