By Nicholas Nhede
HARARE – The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Lazarus Dokora has said lack of financial resources in Zimbabwe has restricted his ministry’s effort to establish some 2,096 primary and secondary schools which are required to curb the deficiency of schools affecting the country.
Addressing journalist at a press conference held in Harare recently, Dokora confirmed the shortage of schools which he said has resulted in a deterioration of Zimbabwe’s education system.
He pointed out the government’s lack of financial resources which is a result of the current economic meltdown as the major cause hindering the ministry’s bid to set up new institutions countrywide as well as renovate the existing 1,425 satellite schools in rural and newly resettled areas.
The shortage of schools has not only resulted in an increase of the teacher to student ratio from the required 1: 40 to 1: 70 at primary education level but also in the failure by secondary schools to accommodate outgoing 2014 ZGCE grade seven pupils with form 1 places, 263Chat has learnt.
Currently the ministry relies on 828 schools owned by rural councils, as well as the private sector and municipalities in urban towns, said Dokora.
Dokora reiterated that there is need for unregistered private institutions to engage in curbing the crisis of shortages of schools by registering with the ministry so as to meet up with the required standards.
He urged parents to also report unregistered colleges to the ministry as they are a danger to the country’s education system which is often considered to be the best in Africa despite the challenges being faced.
