CHINHOYI – MAKONDE District faces a critical shortage of both primary and secondary
schools, with 22 schools needed to alleviate the shortage.
The district has 119 primary schools and 56 secondary schools.
District Schools’ Inspector, Solomon Katoma, said more schools were needed in the district
to improve the quality education. He also indicated that existing schools were far apart such
that learners were having to walk long distances.
Katoma said this during the Makonde BSPZ Annual awards ceremony, which was held
recently at Chinhoyi High School under the theme “Embracing the competence-based
curriculum for 21 st century skills”.
“In order to improve access to quality education through school infrastructure, Makonde
District needs to construct 12 new primary schools and 10 secondary schools, giving a total
of 22 needed new schools.”
He said of the 22 schools that are meant to be constructed, nine schools primary schools
should be built in the urban area.
“Of the 12 additional schools needed in the primary sector, nine ought to be built in Chinhoyi
urban only and the rest in the rural areas,” explained Katoma.
He also raised concern on the number of schools which need to be registered as a greater
percentage of the 175 schools which are in the district were not yet registered.
“Makonde District has 119 primary schools, 56 are registered and 63 are satellite primary
schools. We have a total of 56 secondary schools of which 22 are registered and 34 are
satellite schools. Fifty-nine percent of our primary schools are registered and only 39 percent
of secondary schools, which is a cause of concern.
“It is disheartening to note that more than 40 percent of the satellite schools have submitted
applications for registration but no response has been received,” he said.
Katoma also implored the district to deploy infant teachers in rural areas mostly because there
is a shortage in this important department as there is a deficit of trained ECD teachers.
“There is a critical gap in the infant section, where there is deficit of 564 ECD trained
teachers. It is also quite disturbing that there is a high concentration of infant teachers in the
urban and peri-urban areas, leaving the rural sector with serious gaps.
“There is need for the HR department of the district to ensure that in future the received
infant teachers be deployed in remote areas as a means of rationalising staffing in the
important department,” he said.
Provincial Education Director, Grabriel Mhuma, said it was the position of the Ministry to
relate the schools with the productive sectors of the economy, developing skilled human
capital base that ensured sustainable development at the same time making sure that no child
was left behind.
“The Ministry is intensifying its efforts to ensure that no child is left behind in the provision
of quality equitable and inclusive education and this will be done through education
infrastructure, construction and refurbishing of laboratories, workshops, libraries and
digitalisation of schools, Curriculum and Assessment frameworks, adequate safeguarding and
learners’ support, and enhancing the capacity of teachers through continuous professional
development,” said Mhuma.
Prizes were awarded to the schools and individuals who excelled in various disciplines with
Mhangura District volleyball team getting the prize for being the national champions.
