Sunday Mail
1st November 2009
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture will from next year provide funding to certain schools which will become Academies, offer incentives to teachers and also refurbish infrastructure through a fund meant to resuscitate the education sector.
Speaking after signing the agreement with Teach Zimbabwe (TZ) and A4e, an international non-governmental organisation, in Harare last week, the Education Minister, Senator David Coltart, said the arrangement will see the parties assisting disadvantaged and needy talented students from all the country’s 10 provinces.
He said two schools from all the provinces would be identified and turned into centres of excellence, which will offer diverse opportunities for talented students.
“We have a plan to have 20 schools that will operate as centres of excellence. We want to make sure that in these schools, 40 percent of the enrolled students will have their fees paid through the fund,†he said.
Minister Coltart said the selected schools would also enter into synergies with other countries such as China and France, which will offer the students the chance to study foreign languages after excelling in their studies.
“We have already talked to officials from China and France as well as other countries.
“They are interested in the initiative because they will help to train the students in their language and other skills with the view to helping the students advance their studies in their countries,†he said.
The initiative would not only focus on the education aspect alone but also look at training students to nurture their artistic and sporting talents.
The minister said he had already spoken to renowned sportspersons such as Zimbabwean-born South African rugby star Tendai “Beast†Mtawarira and former cricket player Mpumelelo “Pommie†Mbangwa, who had expressed an interest in helping in the project.
Not all children are gifted academically. Some excel in sport.
Teach Zimbabwe spokesman Mr Bart Musakwa said the signing of the agreement was important because it would help to reinvigorate Zimbabwe’s education sector.
He said TZ, which had brought A4e into the initiative, also planned to lure other local and international investors to pour resources into the country’s education sector.
A4e Africa chairman Kojo Parris said it was important to resuscitate Zimbabwe’s education sector because the country has a rich history of providing quality education, which is the envy of many African countries.