Herald
8 July 2010
Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT should allocate more funds to education in the national budget to resuscitate the sector, a Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking after the donation of information communication technology equipment to the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council by Germany Technological Co-operation in Harare yesterday; Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart described the state of the education sector as “catastrophic”.
“There is need to capacitate Zimsec so that it attains the high standards enjoyed by other examination boards in the region.
“Government must strive to restore the credibility of the country’s examination system by channelling more funds towards education,” he said.
Minister Coltart said this would also help regain the trust of parents and children in the system.
He said 215 000 Ordinary level pupils and 27 000 Advanced level students had registered for this year’s November examinations.
This means 14 000 students registered after the June 11 deadline.
“There is steady progress compared to last year and Government will do everything possible to ensure that every single child eligible to sit for examinations does so.
“Deputy Minister Lazarus Dokora is busy working to ascertain the exact number of students who failed to register so that Government assists,” he said.
Turning to the donation worth US$80 000, Minister Coltart said it would go a long way in improving efficiency and stabilising operations at the examinations body.
The equipment includes 11 laptops, 10 desktop computers, printers and Internet accessories.
Zimsec director Mr Happy Ndanga said they would continue striving to provide quality services to the nation.
“We have been clamouring for such assistance for long because running national examinations requires a lot of input.
“Though we are criticised a lot, we are not going to be shaken in delivering what the nation requires,” he said.
Germany’s Deputy Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Matthias Schumacher said his country would assist Zimbabwe revive education.
“Investment in education is investment in the future. We will continue supporting Zimbabwe as we have done in the past years through humanitarian aid,” he said.