ZPCS sets boarding secondary school in Mazowe

THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) will be constructing its first
boarding secondary school in Mashonaland Central shortly.
The boarding school, which will start as a day school, has already been approved by
the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and will be established within
Mazowe Prison Farm. The Ministry of Lands has also approved the site for the
construction of the school.
Speaking on the sidelines of a tour of prison schools in Mashonaland Central on
Thursday, the Officer Commanding ZPCS in Mashonaland Central, Commissioner
Gezi, said the high school will have state-of-the-art infrastructure.
She said they have applied to their head office for the provision of first class bricks to
be used on the school.
“We have decided to come up with this boarding school, which will be the first in the
history of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service after noticing that our
officers in Mazowe were finding it difficult to send their secondary school-going
children to school.
“The nearest school to the prison is Mazowe Boys’ High, which is however
expensive for our staff because it only provides boarding facilities, a cost many of
our officers cannot afford.
“They are then therefore forced to send their children to schools in Harare either
Oriel Girls or Boys, facing transport costs every day.
“We are hopeful that the new secondary school will be up by the beginning of next
year,” said Commissioner Gezi.
ZPCS currently boast of 15 schools country-wide, 12 primary and three secondaries.
According to Chief Superintendent Kuzivakwashe Dzimbanhete, Zimbabwe Prisons
and Correctional Service Education Deputy Director, the schools are not different
from any other schools scattered across the country.
He said their system follows and is guided by the dictates of the Ministry of Primary
and Secondary Education.
“Teachers at these schools are fully trained and qualified, they are professionals
seconded to our schools from the education ministry,” he emphasised.
The schools have pleasant pass rates across the country.
All of these schools are registered Zimbabwe Schools Examination centres.
The prison services also caters for educational needs for inmates and allows them to
study.
About 430 inmates registered to sit for the October – November Ordinary level
examinations this year.
Dzimbanhete called on communities to get familiar with prison-run schools and enroll
their children.
He said there are no differences between prison schools and Government or council-
run schools.
ZPCS runs schools across the country with a total enrolment of 7846 pupils, 746 are
in secondary, while the remainder are in primary schools.

The schools, however, have a teacher shortage just like many other schools across
the country and the administering staff has appealed to the Ministry of Education and
the Public Service Commission to second teachers to their schools.
According to ZPCS Mashonaland Central Education Officer, Chief Correctional
Officer Mashayamombe, they are appealing to the Commission to transfer all the
officers’ wives working away from their spouses to be brought to these schools.
He also appealed to the Commission to offer teaching jobs to some officers who
joined the prison after being trained in teaching but could not get employment.
Dr. Themba Mangwiro, Acting Mashonaland Central Education Director, said he was
aware of the need for teachers at these schools and promised them some response.
He went on to hail the prisons services for venturing and supporting government in
the education sector, including providing it to inmates which dove tails well with the
President’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
He said Mashonaland Central needed 30 new schools before the end of this year so
as to decongest already existing schools, especially in urban settlements.