Sunday Mail
By Fortunate Jaravaza
13th September 2009
As part of measures to revive the country’s education system, the Government will tomorrow unveil a massive scheme under which all State-run primary and secondary schools will receive textbooks.
The programme is expected to significantly cut Zimbabwe’s pupil-to-book ratio, which stands at 40-to-one.
In an interview last week, the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, said his ministry had, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), facilitated the publication of the learning material.
He said the textbooks would boost the local education sector, adding that the European Union, the United States, Norway, Sweden and Japan were among those who funded the initiative.
“The massive textbook launch will take place at Mutasa Primary School in Highfields in Harare on Monday (tomorrow). The ministry will unveil textbooks that cater for subjects being taught at primary and secondary school level,†said Senator Coltart.
“The entire exercise will only be focusing on Government schools around the country.†The textbook scheme is expected to help improve teaching and learning conditions in Government schools, which had deteriorated over the last few years.
A shortage of stationery ranked among the major problems afflicting the education sector.
In the past, Government would provide the material at a nominal fee, but the country’s dire economic situation has continued to inhibit its capacity to perform this function.
An interim report by the Education Advisory Board shows that Government schools are operating way below capacity.