The government has disbursed over US$2 million this term for the construction of new schools as it makes significant strides in improving access to education, particularly in rural areas.
This initiative aims to ensure students spend less time traveling and more time learning by reducing the walking distance to their nearest school to no more than 5 kilometers, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo told the Senate last week during a Question and Answer Session as reported by a state-owned paper.
“We have received an enormous sum of money this year, which will be allocated to the construction of classrooms. We have designated the schools, satellite schools, and regions where students have to travel more than 5km. Our aim is to construct primary and secondary schools to decrease the distance students have to walk, aligning with international standards. Just this term, we have disbursed more than US$2 million from the global partnership to build classrooms so that satellite schools will be registered,” said Minister Moyo.
Moyo said the government is not doing it alone as they are collaborating with development partners to achieve this goal.
One such partner, UNICEF, has provided complementary funding to construct classrooms for satellite schools, allowing them to register and hold exams on-site, further reducing the need for long commutes.
“It is important to note that the responsibility of building schools does not solely fall on the Government, as we have development partners supporting our efforts. One such partnership is with Unicef, a global organization in education, which provides additional funding to complement our initiatives,” he said.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also plays a role, having recently built 62 classrooms in Bulawayo. Additionally, the OPEC Fund for International Development has pledged to construct a total of 50 schools, including 40 day schools and 10 boarding schools.
“So, we have quite a number of partners. We also have the OPEC Fund for International Development, which has pledged to help with the construction of 40 day schools and 10 boarding schools.
“A total of 50 schools will be built this year courtesy of our development partners that are complementing our Government efforts,” said Moyo.
Minister Moyo encouraged further partnerships, welcoming contributions from individuals and organizations to bolster these efforts.
This development aligns with the demands of Obert Masaraure, president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), for a substantial allocation of funds towards infrastructure development.
