www.dailynews.co.zw
By Chengetai Zvauya, Staff Writer
Wednesday, 09 March 2011
HARARE – The Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, David Coltart has warned political parties not to meddle in the education sector.
The Minister told Parliament on Wednesday that the government will not allow war veterans to offer history lessons of the liberation struggle to students in schools.
He was responding to a question from Shepherd Mushonga, the Member of Parliament for Mazowe in Mashonaland Central, who wanted to know if it was now government policy to allow war veterans to teach history lessons of the liberation struggle in schools.
The MP said he had a letter from the headmaster of Kakora Secondary School in his constituency from war veterans who had informed him they would visit the school this week to to teach history.
“I have a letter from Mazowe written by the headmaster of Kakora Secondary School confirming that the war veterans and Zanu PF youths wanted to take over this school and I want to know whether it is government to allow those acts to happen,’’ asked Mushonga.
Coltart said the government did not allow unqualified and untrained people to associate themselves with the education sector.
“The political parties should not meddle in education. We should not expose school children to politics as it is against the Education Act. Schools should not be used for politics. I want the MP’s to support me in trying to stop what is now happening,’’ said Coltart.
The Minister said he was concerned by the high number of teacher transfers from schools after intimidation by political party youths, especially in rural areas.
Recently, Coltart took issue of reports that some school children had been forced to take part in a competition to draw the portrait of President Mugabe as part of events to mark the 21st February Movement celebrations, a Zanu PF event that has been turned into a national one to mark Mugabe’s birthday.
During the 2008 elections scores of teachers fled rural schools after being beaten up and accused of supporting the Movement For Democratic Change.