www.gta.gov.zw
19th March 2010
THE Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture and Unicef have raised US$30 million for the production of nine million textbooks for primary schools over the next five months.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart told the House of Assembly last week that his ministry and Unicef have raised US$30 million for the production of nine million textbooks for primary schools in the next five months.
He also said they would be publishing textbooks for minority languages.
He was responding to a question by Makoni West House of Assembly Member Mr Webber Chinyadza (MDC-T) who wanted to know Government policy on textbooks for primary schools.
“In the past four to five months since the Education Transition Fund was established, we have raised in the region of US$30 million. The money in the first instance will be applied to the production of textbooks for primary schools,” Minister Coltart said.
He said Unicef was managing the fund and was already in the process of signing contracts with Zimbabwe publishing houses to produce core textbooks.
“In the course of the next five months we target the publishing of 9 million textbooks for primary schools and these will be distributed to all primary schools countrywide.
“We are also aiming to have textbooks printed for the so-called marginalised indigenous languages such as Kalanga, Tonga, Namibia and Suthu,” Minister Coltart said.
He added that textbook pupil ratio was a cause for concern because most schools did not have textbooks. He said in most schools the only textbook was the one used by the teacher while at “best” the textbook pupil ratio was one textbook per 16 pupils.
Minister Coltart expressed confidence that the printing of the textbooks would reduce the ratio to one textbook per student or, at most, two students.
Most schools, especially in rural areas, have been finding it difficult to buy textbooks attributing the development to lack of funds while others say it was because of the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.
Publishing houses have been failing to print textbooks because of the hyperinflationary environment which afflicted Zimbabwe over the past few years.