US$ 4m needed for exam marking

Sunday News News Editor 10 May 2009 THE Ministry of Education Sports, Arts and Culture requires US$4 million to finalise the process of marking last year’s public examinations, a senior Government official revealed last Friday. The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture, Dr Steven Mahere, disclosed in an interview with

Doubt Over Exam Results

The Standard BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE AND GEORGE MADEGA 9 May 2009 THE Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) last week fired all its casual workers after they abandoned the processing of last year’s Grade VII examinations following an acrimonious dispute over pay. The labour dispute, the latest hurdle for the beleaguered examinations body, has reportedly put

Teachers Fail to Return to School

Radio VOP May 7 2009 HARARE,- The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe says close to 35 percent of teachers failed raise money to return to their respective posts when schools opened this week. Teachers this week called off a strike despite their wage demands not being met. Education Minister David Coltart said the government had

Education in dilapidation

Financial Gazette Thursday 7 May 2009 ELLIS Robins Boys High School in Harare resembles the remnants of a long, forgotten ghost community in an old township. Burst sewer pipes have gone for weeks without being fixed; the school’s fish pond and swimming pool among other infrastructure at the school, all ceased functioning years ago. The

Zanu-PF Should Re-Strategise

The Herald Alexander Kanengoni 7 May 2009 Harare — THE most dominant feature in Zimbabwe at the moment, straddling the political and social landscape of the country is the inclusive Government. Different people perceive it differently, that is inevitable. Some people see it as a monster foisted on us by outsiders that we are better

Minister Coltart should get his priorities right

Financial Gazette Letters to the Editor Thursday, 07 May 2009 EDITOR — When David Coltart was sworn in as Education, Sport and Culture Minister, there were mixed reactions. Some pinned their hopes on him reviving Zimbabwe’s education sector, which is in tatters; others hoped he would change the direction of national sports — including his

Zimbabwe’s time running out

ABC Wednesday, 6 May , 2009 Reporter: Andrew Geoghegan TONY EASTLEY: Zimbabwe’s unity government has been trying to convince other countries and investors that real political and economic reform is underway in the country. But the arrest of a group of prominent human rights activists overnight has only reinforced opinion that little has changed in

Zimbabwe Teachers Strike Averted

VOA By Peta Thornycroft Harare 05 May 2009 Last week, the unions, two aligned to President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and one independent, threatened to strike if salaries were not increased beyond $100 a month. But many teachers polled by VOA around Harare say they had no intention of going on strike. They say the call

Zimbabwe: ‘clothes are a luxury’

Channel 4 News 5 May 2009 At the start of a new school term in Zimbabwe one teacher cannot even afford to replace her shoes on her wages, writes Helen. “Government coffers are bare” was the message to school teachers from Education Minister David Coltart. Promises of increases coming (hopefully from the donor community) and

18 Zimbabwe activists jailed again

Daily Nation 5 May 2009 A Zimbabwe court today ordered 18 opposition activists facing charges of terrorism back to prison after they were indicted for trial next month in a move that will spark fresh tensions in a new unity government. The activists, including leading human rights activist Jestina Mukoko, say they were abducted by