Zimbabwe Telegraph
By Getrude Gumede
3 July 2009
ZIMBABWE-HARARE-The Zimbabwean government has mobilised an undisclosed amount of money from donors and Western governments to be used to acquire textbooks and other learning materials after sending an appeal last month.
Education, Sport, Art and Culture Minister David Coltart told The Zimbabwe Telegraph that he would soon meet the donors, publishers, printers and booksellers to map a way forward.
“We have made substantive progress towards raising money to acquire textbooks. I have been advised by our donors among them UNESCO who were helping to source the funds that a significant amount of money from Western governments and donors has been availed.
‘It is in this light that we are meeting the donors, publishers, printers and booksellers so that they can print more textbooks in order to put the text book student ratio to acceptable levels,†he said.
However Coltart could not be drawn into revealing the sources and the amount of money that was channeled towards the acquisition of textbooks.
The Minister said textbooks were essential in maintaining standards of quality education and direction to the curriculum especially in situations where there where shortages of teachers.
He added that textbooks were important and could not be replaced by teachers. Minister Coltart said it was imperative for teachers to be provided with relevant and up to date teaching and learning materials.
In May this year, Minister Coltart said an average 30 pupils in Zimbabwe’s schools were sharing one textbook as a result of under-funding of the education sector.
On Wednesday this week, the Minister appointed a National Library and Documentation Service Council tasked to audit the current state of the country’s library among other functions.
Harare lawyer, Nokuthula Moyo who heads the council said she was aware of the challenges ahead of the council and they would embark on a serious fundraising campaign to seek funds to reequip the country’s libraries.
“We are also looking at setting up electronic libraries across the country and we hope with the help from the private sector, we will be able to achieve our goals in a short period of time,†she said.