The Government says every school in Zimbabwe will have internet connectivity, solar power and access to the national electricity grid by December 2026 as part of efforts to narrow the digital divide between urban and rural schools.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo made the announcement in the Senate while responding to questions on how the Government plans to ensure learners in rural areas fully benefit from the Heritage-Based Curriculum despite infrastructure challenges.
The issue was raised by Senator Apollonia Munzverengwi who asked what measures were being taken to address disparities in access to electricity, digital technology and learning resources.
Moyo acknowledged that learners in rural communities had historically been disadvantaged compared with their urban counterparts but said the Government was implementing programmes to close the gap.
“Yes, there was a gap in that learners from towns were in a better position to get equipment to use in schools. At the same time, those in rural areas were being left behind. As we speak, many measures are being put in place to cover that gap,” he said.
The minister said the Government had rolled out thousands of Starlink internet devices to schools across the country with a further expansion planned before the end of the year.
“We distributed 8 000 to those schools that were not connected to Wi-Fi. Those that had Wi-Fi were given 3 500. If we add the 8 000, we will have 11 500 meaning to say, when we reach December this year, there will be no school in the country that will not have Wi-Fi, solar energy and national electricity grid,” Moyo said.
He added that Members of Parliament had been asked to identify schools that still require assistance, with the Government targeting more than 1300 institutions under the programme.
“As we are speaking right now, I have a list with 1100 schools and we are targeting to reach out to 1350 schools. If there are other places, submit the names of those schools so that we have adequate funds such that when we reach next year, there will be no satellite schools anymore,” he said.
During the same session, Senator Irene Zindi asked whether the Government had put in place mechanisms to fund innovations developed by learners so they could contribute to sectors such as agriculture and industry.
In response, Moyo said Cabinet had recently approved increased funding for research and innovation as part of the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 framework.
“Just three months ago, the Cabinet approved that 3% of the GDP of Zimbabwe will finance research and innovation. Innovation is one of the five pillars of Heritage-Based Education 5.0. So, it means funding will be extended to students who come to introduce those innovations that are important,” he said.
The Government says expanding digital connectivity, improving access to electricity and investing in innovation are central to its efforts to modernise the education sector and ensure learners across the country have equal opportunities to acquire the skills needed for national development.
