Education Transition Fund II

Speech delivered by Honourable Senator David Coltart, Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture on the occasion of the secondary textbook distribution and Education Transition Fund II

BAK Storage Distribution Centre, Harare

3 November 2011

As Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, I feel highly honoured by the presence at this occasion of high profile people like Vice President John Nkomo, Right Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai and other Cabinet colleagues as well as members for the Diplomatic Corps.

1. Education Transition Fund history and achievements

The Education Transition Fund (ETF) was first launched by me in September 2009, as an initiative to provide every primary school child in the country with a full set of core textbooks. The cost saving measures allowed this initiative to then be expanded in November 2010 to include textbooks for six core subjects in all secondary schools, including satellite schools.

We are all familiar with the success of the ETF: the ratio of textbooks to pupils has changed from 1:15 to 1:1. Fifteen million primary school textbooks have been procured so that every child in Zimbabwe will have a full set of textbooks for the selected core subjects. This statistic is extraordinary and indeed unique to the region. In a recent meeting of SADC Education Ministers we learnt that the SADC average pupil to textbook ratio is 4:1.

Other lesser known but nevertheless critical successes of the ETF include:

• The Technical Assistance Fund;
• The process of updating the national Education Management of Information System (EMIS) based on school enrolment figures;
• Creating and publishing a database citing all primary schools, including satellite schools;
• Training and capacity development for the School Development Committees of 5670 primary schools;
• ETF sensitisation and social mobilisation in every province in the country;
• The printing and distribution of minority languages textbooks including Braille textbooks for partially blind and blind pupils;
• Support for the revision and redrafting of the Education Regulations, so as to comply with the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC);
• Support for a Curriculum Review and the refurbishment of the Curriculum Development Unit;
• The development of a 5 year Strategic Plan which will be submitted to cabinet this month;
• A comprehensive GPS mapping exercise to learning facilities in the country, and
• German aid for the Academies/ Centres of Excellence programme has been channelled through the ETF.

2. ETF I and ETF II partnership and background

The procurement of primary and secondary texts represents and investment in the revitalisation of the education sector in Zimbabwe. But there is more work to do. We now need to invest in learning to such a degree that children continue enrolling and staying in school, teachers and school heads are motivated to inspire the children that come to school, and schools become places of safe, motivational learning to grow leaders of the future.

The ETF II, the “second phase” of the transition fund, will continue to strengthen the sector by providing much needed financing at the school level through a national school improvement grants programme. The poorest and neediest of schools will be selected to participate in a grants initiative that will aim to eliminate the costs of schooling from parents and children and ensure quality of education for those most vulnerable. This financing mechanism will be completed by other investments in:

• Early childhood development,
• Teacher training,
• Policy development,
• Management  information,
• Water and sanitation,
• Disaster risk reduction and
• Efforts to keep children safe and protected while they learn.

3. The future

The Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture recognises the important role played by the international donor community in their support to ETF I. More than US$53 million dollars have so far been mobilised and used in the procurement, supply and distribution of teaching and learning materials. We need to pay tribute to Unicef and the donors; we take the honour but they have done the work. In particular I’d like to thank Dr Peter Salama, Education Officer Louise Mvono, now Jeanine Spink, the Operations Team Leader, Alaa Alami and the Chief of Supply, Aubaid Raman, who is leaving for Pakistan.

ETF II was conceived so that these achievements can form a platform for future investment in the sector; a sector that has struggled with chronic underfunding for years.

Pooling our resources in a second phase of the ETF, in the ETF II, the Government of Zimbabwe, Unicef and the donor community can come together to build on the success of ETF I and channel critical funding to those who need it most: the children and families of Zimbabwe who value education above all else. Education is at the forefront of Zimbabwe’s national recovery efforts and our commitments here today underline this priority.

Unlike what happened in the Primary textbook programme, the Zimbabwe Government have paid US$1 million towards the textbooks for secondary schools. It is important that this continue. Indeed, we need to increase our commitment. The US$66 million allotted in 2011 to Education in the national budget is equivalent to US$2 per child per month, but the reality is that we have received a mere fraction of that.  That is unacceptable. The entire future of Zimbabwe is underpinned by the reality of our commitment to Education.

It is now my honour to introduce the Right Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai. It was he that launched the textbook programme last year, and so it is fitting that he be here today. I have known him since 1992 and have seen his consistent and courageous compassion for the interests of Zimbabwe’s children. He has a deep-seated desire to ensure that the coming generation have the best possible education.

It is also my honour to introduce Vice President John Nkomo. He is also committed to schools, and in 2005 was involved in the construction of a school in Tsholotsho. Yesterday he participated in the receipt of a donation of computers for that school from the Chinese Government.

I have known Vice President Nkomo for even longer than I have the Prime Minister, since 1985. At the time I was representing Stephen Nkomo – Joshua Nkomo’s brother – who was in detention. We have enjoyed a warm friendship ever since. Like Prime Minister Tsvangirai he is consistent and courageous. He played a key role in the liberation of Zimbabwe from white minority rule and is now playing a key role in the Healing Organ. He has also shown immense courage in his personal life.

Thank you.