News Day

by Phillip Chidavaenzi and Pamela Mhlanga

11 January 2013

MANY parents were by yesterday still struggling to secure places for Grade 1 and Form 1 pupils two days after the 2013 school calendar had officially opened.

Although NewsDay understands that most schools had long closed their intakes for 2013, at one primary school in Harare, some parents and guardians could be seen loitering around the school yard praying for a last-minute reprieve.

Avondale Primary School headmistress Nothando Mtomba said in exceptional cases they were compelled to exceed their average enrolment limit to cater for pupils who would have been in the Early Child Development (ECD) classes, but failed to secure places elsewhere as they would have intended.

“We have three Grade 1 classes with 50 pupils each at the moment because we wanted to accommodate those who had attended our ECD and were hoping to get places elsewhere but failed.

“Normally, we have a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:40,” she said. “This is mainly because we had to accommodate pupils who were in our ECD classes but had not submitted their names for Grade 1.”

Pupils at the school, she said, paid $150 fees per term. She said the other schools in their catchment area, Twin Rivers, had very high fees and that often led to an influx of prospective pupils at her school.

Mtomba said all their Grade 1 pupils for 2013 were offered places in March last year so they were not entertaining new requests.

“We take in pupils for the following year on the first Wednesday of March. By July, we would have notified you whether or not your child got a place and by October, the fees should have been paid,” she said. “So by the time schools open, all the registers will be in place.”

She admitted that in the last few years, there had been an upsurge in the number of pupils seeking Grade 1 places. For most parents, securing school fees is often a challenge in the first term due to the excesses that merry-making people often engage in during the festive season.

At Zengeza High 2 in Chitungwiza, places for Form 1 were filled long before 2012 came to a close. An official at the school, where pupils pay $120 this term, said demand for places had increased and the school now had seven Form 1 classes, each with no less than 60 pupils.

“As soon as the Grade 7 results were published, we started enrolling pupils and by the time the year ended, we had filled all seven classes, each with an average of 60 pupils,” he said, adding that some pupils still came in search for Grade 1 places at the beginning of the first term.

He added that fees for the second and third term were, however, pegged at an average of $78. During the first term the fees for Form 1 pupils are higher because there is need for them to have learning materials such as exercise books and school identity cards as well as sporting items,” he said.

This was almost the same situation at Zengeza 8 Primary School, also in Chitungwiza.”

The school has five Grade 1 classes, each with an average of 50 pupils. The pupils pay $70 as fees inclusive of a building fee for a project at the school.

In a related matter in Bulawayo, Gweru and Masvingo, some schools defied a 2011 government directive and sent pupils home for non-payment of fees.

A survey in Bulawayo and Gweru showed that most schools had sent away pupils who had not paid fees. Schools that reportedly sent pupils back home in Bulawayo included Milton Junior, Bulawayo Adventist High School and McKeurtan Primary School.

At Milton Junior, returning pupils were required to pay $84 while new pupils paid $140.

Education minister David Coltart urged headmasters to exercise tolerance on pupils who failed to pay fees as schools opened for the 2013 first term.

He, however, stressed that since schools required money to operate, school authorities and parents should engage in dialogue and agree on feasible payment plans.

The Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association (BPRA) has lambasted schools in the city which turned away students for non-payment of fees when the first term opened on Monday.

BPRA co-ordinator Rodrick Fayayo said that his organisation was disappointed with school authorities who defied a government order barring schools from turning away pupils for non-payment of fees.

Magwegwe MP Felix Magalela Sibanda said it was both “illegal and immoral” for headmasters to turn away children from school because their parents had failed to pay fees.

United States Africa Sport & Education Blog

Talk Given by Lloyd O. Pierson, Senior International Adviser for USASEF 

Midwestern State University, Texas

Readers expecting to visualize the Africa of Abbot and Costello, of Meryl Streep in Out of Africa, or picturing pith helmets and charging lions are going to be disappointed.  This is about an Africa that many don’t see and this is the reality of why the United States should increase its focus on the sub-Sahara area of the Africa Continent from South Africa to Senegal and the Sahel area from Mauritania to Somalia.  Much of Africa has a vibrant economy and a number of foreign nations , including China,,Brazil, France, Portugal and India, are providing foreign assistance as well as multiplying trade and investment.  While the United States focus on Africa has increased , particularly under the leadership and guidance of former President George W. Bush, the U.S. has still not reached a cognitive level that Africa is a potential dynamo for American economic development. Every Member of Congress should be aware of the present and future in Africa. 

America is getting there.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made several successful trips and Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Ambassador Johnnie Carson, who was formerly the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Zimbabwe and Kenya, has enormous well earned respect and repeatedly emphasizes the importance of Africa in global affairs.  About the only thing many Americans know about Africa is the textbook description as the “dark continent” and television images of drought and war.  There is , however, a lot more and it is important to recognize what is the meaning of more and why it makes a difference to those living in North Texas.  Africa can mean jobs for Americans.

First, there is a a strong emotional attachment for many African Americans who trace their lineage to various African countries.  While most have not been to Africa, despite a desire to travel there, the umbilical with their genealogical birth line remains.  Although under different

circumstances, Africa is as much a part of U.S. history as Europe.  Africa itself has some of the world’s great thinkers, and businessmen (Tony Elumelu from Nigeria, Tewolde GebreMarian from Ethiopia, Geoff Rothschild from South Africa and Admassu Tadesse  based in South Africa )were recently cited by the Corporate Council on Africa) as well as a rich history of music and art.  There is outstanding leadership such as Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Kenya, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangrai in Zimbabwe, and President Blaise Campaore in Burkina Faso.  First class, effective Ministers such as Minister of Finance Tendai Biti and Minister of Education David Coltart in Zimbabwe.  Second, Africa poses an enormous economic opportunity.  The GNP for most countries is on the rise and there is an increasing recognition that jobs and employment are the basis for stabilization and as a means to help keep the bad guys out.  In his 2005 inaugural speech, President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia talked eloquently about the past struggles with apartheid and colonization in what was then Southwest Africa,  He spoke about the effort to overcome apartheid, the courage that had been shown, and the lives lost and destroyed.  But he said it was now a new day and economic development had to be the priority throughout Africa.

It used to be pointed out that rusting cranes on top of half finished buildings was a hallmark of African architecture, but no more.  Skylines all across Africa are booming and even in many rural areas, such as Maun and Ghanzi in Botswana, Boike in Benin, and even the isolated Lodwar in northern Kenya is showing signs of development life.  There is a wonderful spirit of entrepreneurship in Africa, in some instances it may be just a matter of survival, but with U.S. help take a look at what the Tuaregs are doing around Agadez in Nigeria; the San in Namibia and Botswana, and the Turkana in Kenya.  Despite a failed state, Somalia reportedly has the highest per capita use of cell phones in the world. The “winds of change” that earlier marked the ending of the cold war and of apartheid are now blowing in the direction of the private sector and economic development.  Florie Liser, the United States Trade Representative often quotes the Blair Report estimating that a one percent increase in Africa trade would generate over $70 billion in revenue — nearly three times the current foreign development assistance.  Africa’s vast hydrocarbon and mineral resources currently form the basis for most U.S. imports, but as a result of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and other efforts, the trade activity in other sectors is increasing.

In addition to the heritage and economic development, Africa’s environment needs to be elevated in terms of U.S. foreign policy and assistance.  Almost all are knowledgeable that the largest rain forest in the world is the Amazon, but how many can name the second largest and second most important.  The answer is the Congo River Basin, a vast area encompassing borders with eight different African countries.  Beset by internal conflicts, bush meat and exotic animal hunters, and timber companies, a lot of the area resources are being depleted.  Efforts and collaboration are being made to control the depletion, but not enough.  There is barely any public attention to the second largest rain forest in  the world.

Parallel, however, to the optimistic view of Africa, there are events occurring that will impact the Continent and threaten the national security of the United States.  The rise of Islamic fundamentalism poses a threat to many countries as there have already been U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and Boko Haran actions in Abuja, Jos, and Kano in Nigeria.  U.S. military activity under the command of Africom and the large, and getting larger U.S. base Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti speak to the need of American armed forces presence.  The takeover of the northern Mali area from Timbuctu to Gao and impending military intervention by ECOWAS and other forces is as significant a development as has occurred in years.  The recent front page lead article by the Wall Street Journal entitled, “Terror Fight Shifts to Africa” points out many of the identical concerns that the U.S. has had in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Still burdened by conflicts, extremely high unemployment rates among youth, corrupt officials, severe droughts, and poor infrastructure, there remain many challenges in Africa.  The reality of Africa is that there are many opportunities for the United States and the Continent can no longer be an afterthought for policymakers.

Daily News

10 January 2013

Some schools have been barring students who have not yet paid fees from attending classes, in direct defiance of a government order.

Yesterday, the Daily News was inundated with reports that school pupils had been barred from entering premises because of non-payment of fees countrywide.

At Chirodzo Primary school in Mbare and Kundayi Primary School in Glen Norah, pupils were being asked to provide receipts of payment without which they were denied entry into school premises.

Education minister David Coltart is on record as saying school authorities should bear with parents who are reeling under the economic and liquidity crunch.

The dire economic situation has seen some pupils dropping out of school altogether.

There is a standing government policy that no pupil shall be denied education because of fees non-payment.

Deputy Education minister Lazarus Dokora was this week quoted as saying the ministry of Education has increased supervision in schools.

“We have increased the number of supervisors that are doing routine rounds in schools for us to satisfy ourselves that the system is conforming to stipulated and regulated behaviour.”

However, indications are the supervision has failed. Coltart was yesterday not reachable for comment on the defiance by schools.

News Day

By Nduduzo Tshuma

10 January 2013

EDUCATION minister David Coltart has accused State media of bypassing him to seek comment from his deputy, Lazarus Dokora, on issues concerning the ministry.

Coltart, who is from the Welshman Ncube-led MDC, said while he worked well with Dokora, a Zanu PF official, he suspected the snub could be politically motivated.

“(I am) intrigued by how The Herald is studiously printing comments on education matters from my deputy rather than me, even though I am very contactable,” said Coltart on Twitter.

“I have a good relationship with my Zanu deputy, so that is not the problem. The Herald and Sunday Mail should follow correct protocol.

“In terms of the law, for example the Education Act, it is the minister who is responsible and decides and outlines policy. Newspapers should respect that.”

“Comment from deputy ministers should be obtained in the absence or non-availability of the minister. My cell number is well known.”

The State media has been accused of being biased in favour of Zanu PF in its reporting by the two MDC formations in the inclusive government.

Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe attacked the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), accusing it of being biased towards Zanu PF especially during elections.

Speaking during commemorations to mark the United Nations International Human Rights Day in Harare, Khupe said ZBC should give equal coverage to all political parties and stop being used as a Zanu PF propaganda mouthpiece.

“We want access to information because Zimbabweans are sick and tired of propaganda on ZBC, which is now Zanu PF Broadcasting Corporation, and even Satan does not approve of it,” she said.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last year told journalists in Bulawayo that he was the worst victim of demonisation by the State media.

The Herald

By Felix Share

10 January 2013

MASSIVE corruption has hit the education sector with district education officials reportedly demanding various amounts to interview temporary teachers to fill in vacant posts. The education officials are

charging the desperate untrained teachers amounts ranging between US$5 and US$10 as interview fees in addition to the US$5 they charge for application forms. The application forms should be given for free. The situation is rampant in Masvingo, Midlands, and Mashonaland Central.

Interviewed untrained teachers yesterday said the officials were also demanding amounts as much as US$300 as kickbacks to secure job placements for the relief teachers or educators seeking transfers to areas with better working conditions. Most of them said they had failed to meet the demands.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said any official caught charging those amounts would be discharged from duty.

“There is no entitlement for any education official to charge any fees when conducting those interviews,” he said.

“This is corruption at its highest level and while many people are afraid to report the cases, we urge them to come forward with the names of those officials. Government will not hesitate to dismiss them from duty,” he said.

He said temporary teachers were important to the education sector as they were “filling a gap.”
“We have got a shortfall of teachers and it does not make sense to drive them away using such corrupt tendencies,” he said.

Zimbabwe has a shortfall of close to 14 000 as it employs about 97 000 teachers against a demand of 111 000.

An untrained teacher from Masvingo who recently went for the interviews said he was turned away after failing to pay the U$10 interview fees.

“I am looking for a job to get money but it does not make sense if I am forced to pay money upfront to Government officials,” he said.

“These officials are not employment agencies who charge certain amounts for us to get employment. More than 100 teachers might apply when the district has less than 20 vacant places.”

Another untrained teacher from Murehwa said they were made to buy application forms, which should be given for free.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Mr Takavafira Zhou confirmed receiving such complaints from their members fingering district education officials.

Zimbabwe has turned to temporary teachers to fill the huge gap created by the migration of qualified teachers at the height of the country’s economic challenges.

News Day

By Veneranda Langa

9 January 2013

Education minister David Coltart yesterday urged headmasters to exercise tolerance on schoolchildren who failed to pay fees as schools opened for the 2013 first term.

His call followed reports that some schools in Harare, Bulawayo and other parts of the country had turned away pupils over non-payment of fees.

Coltart said: “Government policy is that school heads should comply with the government directive to take in as many children as possible and that parents must pay the required fees. What we ask school heads to do is to negotiate payment plans with parents and I need to stress that schools cannot operate without money and so parents should make all efforts to pay the required amounts.”

The minister also acknowledged that some students were yet to secure Form One places.

“What we find is that those children who are affected want to go to particular schools and in most cases they cannot get places at those schools. It is not a problem that is affecting the majority of schoolchildren, but there is still an unacceptable number of them affected. We are still to ascertain the figures,” he said.

Coltart said the affected children should contact their nearest regional and district education offices for assistance.

Meanwhile, some parents interviewed by NewsDay yesterday said most schools had not increased fees for this term.

Benenia Makamba, a parent of a Form Two boarding school pupil at St Anne’s Goto in Wedza, said the fees had remained fixed at $380 per term although the school had earlier announced plans to hike the amount to $450 for the first term.

At St Mark’s High School in Mubayira, Mhondoro, parents said the fees had risen marginally from $400 to $420.

“The increase is reasonable,” said Maureen Chindotwe, a parent with a Form Three pupil at the school.

The Zimbabwean

By Paul Ndlovu

9 January 2013

The government has voiced its concern that schools across the country are not teaching minority languages and has said the issue needs to be prioritised.

“This problem is more prone in areas where there was a variety of mixed languages and cultures such as Tonga, Venda and other,” said the minister of education David Coltart.

He pointed out all schools were obliged to teach minority or marginalised languages as part of the country’s educational curriculum.

“There can be no exceptions, the ministry prescribed the curriculum to the schools, which they in turn have to follow.”

However, Coltart conceded that as much as schools had to pursue the curriculum, he understood the gravity of the problem affecting some areas.

He illustrated how it was a combination of factors starting from shortage of suitable teachers speaking the minority languages, to the curriculum itself and finances.

“These are related problems. The selection and training of teachers is a mandate of the higher and tertiary ministry. We don’t control that aspect, it is an anomaly which the ministry of education can’t solve on its own. If only the ministry of higher and tertiary could redraw some assistance from the education ministry like what used to happen in the 1990s that could be helpful. In my view there are also deficiencies in the syllabus,” he said. Coltart said the problem was deep rooted.

“There are few students from diverse cultures who can speak these languages and pass with the necessary qualifications and proceed to do higher education and become teachers. This has to do with the shortage of schools where they come from. It is a vicious cycle,” he said.

Even though the ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education announced that it would introduce a minority languages department at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in Gwanda, Coltart said the course would not make the problem disappear.

The Chronicle

By Prosper Ndlovu

8 January 2013

THE Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture has further deferred the establishment of Academies of Excellence to 2014 citing lack of funding.

The idea to establish Academies of Excellence was mooted three years ago to ensure a rapid response and sustainable recovery and development of the education system with 20 schools identified to run the programme countrywide.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart, yesterday said 2013 would be dedicated to rehabilitating three selected schools where the programme would be run on a pilot  basis.

“Lack of funding is delaying the implementation of the programme. However, we have agreed to run a pilot programme in only three schools out of the selected 20. These are Plumtree High in Matabeleland South, Mutare Girls High in Manicaland and Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East,” said Senator Coltart.

“There will be no intake of students this year. Instead, we will concentrate on rehabilitating the schools and then have our first intake in 2014.”

Senator Coltart said $2,4 million euros, which translates to $3 million, was secured from the German government last year for the rehabilitation of the schools.

“It is frustrating that we have such delays because of lack of funding. We have not received any money from Treasury for the programme. Funding for rehabilitating the schools was sourced from the German government,” he said.

The programme was scheduled for January 2011 before being deferred to 2012 and later to 2013, as Government cited inadequate preparedness and lack of funding.

Senator Coltart is on record as saying $40 million was required to fully implement the project with each school requiring $2 million.

Under the programme, each province has two schools chosen for the programme whose first phase was expected to run from January 2011 until 2017.

The $2 million for each school includes scholarships for approximately 600 students, teacher incentives, upgrading and expansion of physical infrastructure, information technology programmes and other administrative costs.

Eveline Girls High and Milton Boys High schools were chosen as Academies of Excellence in Bulawayo.

In Matabeleland South, the academy for boys will be at Plumtree High while Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo High will house another group, which will start with boys and girls, although “it will be converted into a girls’ academy”.

In Matabeleland North, Binga Secondary and Fatima High will be co-education facilities with boys and girls.

The same concept of co-education will apply in the Midlands, Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces.

Harare will have boys at Churchill and girls at Girls High, with Manicaland having boys at Mutare Boys High and girls at Mutare Girls High schools.

The programme seeks to curtail loss of education opportunities, especially among disadvantaged students, through concrete, realistic and demonstrable returns on sufficiently focused investment in the education sector.

An estimated 40 percent of the intake at the academies will be reserved for academically talented disadvantaged children.

Business Day

By Samuel Mungadze

8 January 2013

THE situation at Beitbridge remains intolerable, unacceptable and a major obstruction to Zimbabwe ever attracting significant tourists from South Africa, according to Zimbabwe Education Minister David Coltart.

Mr Coltart, reacting to the abnormally long queues at the border over the past few days, suggested that a new border post be considered between the two countries.

Long queues of vehicles stretched as far as 20km into Zimbabwe on the main highway to the Beitbridge border post, one of the busiest in Southern Africa.

Eyewitnesses said police and immigration officers had a torrid time controlling the queues as frustrated travellers also had to contend with the heat and crying babies.

Mr Coltart, in his Facebook message, described congestion at Beitbridge as a national embarrassment and an obstruction to his country’s bid to attract foreign tourists.

Officials in Zimbabwe had blamed South Africa’s immigration officials for taking a casual approach despite the surge in traffic.

Lunga Ngqengelele, a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, denied there was a “casual approach” but confirmed there were problems at the border post.

“There is no dispute regarding the challenges at Beitbridge. We are aware of it and the department is working to improve the situation. This is not a problem with staff, but (with) the volumes passing through the border post,” he said.

Last year the department won a court case after it was challenged over the use of soldiers at OR Tambo International Airport.

In his post Mr Coltart said: “We have to move from talk to urgent action … this situation needs a massive, urgent effort by both the South African and Zimbabwean governments. If need be, we should be considering the construction of another road to South Africa — for example, the most direct … route is south through Kezi … that road needs to be upgraded and a new border constructed over the Shashi and a road constructed through Botswana direct to, say, Martin’s Drift.”

The South African Chamber of Commerce & Industry expressed concern but said opening a new border, though a good idea, would not solve the current problems.

Chamber CEO Neren Rau said the idea should be “how to improve road efficiencies that would promote trade and movement of people”.

News Day

By Moses Matenga

7 January 2013

A CABINET minister has rapped the level of congestion at the country’s main entry point, Beitbridge Border Post, where motorists driving out of the country are reportedly spending several hours queuing to be cleared.

Education minister David Coltart yesterday posted a Facebook post describing the chaos at Beitbridge as a national embarrassment and an obstruction to the country’s bid to attract foreign tourists.

“The situation at Beitbridge remains intolerable, unacceptable and a major obstruction to Zimbabwe ever attracting significant tourists from South Africa,” Coltart said.

Thousands of Zimbabweans working in South Africa were supposed to start work today, but fears are that they will fail to make it due to the pressure at the border post.

“Beitbridge and of course all borders, do not fall under my ministry, so to that extent it is none of my business. However, as senator for Khumalo (constituency) and therefore of a city, Bulawayo, which desperately needs South African tourists and investment, I am deeply concerned about this ongoing calamity.

“We have to move from talk to urgent action. In my view, this situation needs a massive, urgent effort by both the South African and Zimbabwean governments. If need be, we should be considering the construction of another road to South Africa – for example the most direct (as the crow flies) route is south through Kezi. I believe that road needs to be upgraded and a new border constructed over the Shashi and a road constructed through Botswana direct to say Martin’s Drift,” he added.“But in the short term, radical measures need to be introduced at Beitbridge — this is a national embarrassment and is costing Zimbabwe hundreds of millions of dollars of lost potential tourist revenue and other revenue every year.”

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office, Jameson Timba, concurred, adding there was need for urgent attention to address the issue.

“I share your sentiments David. Let’s tag team this quarter and see how far we can push the relevant ministers,” Timba said.
Both Home Affairs co-ministers Theresa Makone and Kembo Mohadi could not be reached for comment yesterday.