Harare, (New Ziana)-The government is targeting to build 120 new schools across the country this year, in a development expected to improve accessibility for learners, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo said funding for the massive construction projects has already been secured.
Moyo was responding to a report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education which was presented in the august House last year, which identified critical gaps in educational infrastructure.
“Resource permitting, the Ministry will prioritise building more schools to address these challenges. Madam Speaker, I must mention that in the 2025 calendar year we have secured adequate resources to construct new schools. We are targeting not less than 120 new schools. “These include 30 schools that we have already received funding from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion through the National Building Society,” he said.
“So, it is a model that has been used by universities like Chinhoyi University where we have received financial support from the National Building Society to construct 30 schools, and these schools will be distributed to all the 10 provinces in Zimbabwe.” said Moyo.
He said in addition to the 30 schools, the OPEC Funding for International Development (OFID), has also offered funding in a staggered manner.
“So, in the first term we are going to receive US$20 million towards school construction. The partner is going to provide funding for the construction of 50 schools. Of these 50 schools, 40 will be day schools and 10 are going to be boarding schools,” he said.
He added: “So, the Government on its own is going to construct not less than 100 schools but we also have our partners. These are individuals, corporates, who are going to provide funding for construction of private schools and colleges so that we expect at least 120 schools to be built in 2025. In addition to that, we also want to build not less than 300 classrooms. So, we also have funding towards construction of classrooms.” Moyo said the government was targeting areas where students are travelling long distances.
“In those areas, we are going to build new schools. So, we are going to consult Members of Parliament who are in charge of areas in their constituencies where learners are travelling long distances, we are going to build new schools,” he said.
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