3 000 more schools needed Minister
Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
At least 3 000 more primary and secondary schools are needed to cater for the increasing number of students and to ensure an improvement in the quality of education in Zimbabwe, a Cabinet minister has said.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema was speaking in the National Assembly yesterday while presenting a ministerial statement on last year’s Grade Seven results after legislators raised concern over the drop in the pass rate.
The 2020 national pass rate is 37,11 percent, a drop of 9,79 percent from 2019’s 46,9 percent.
Eighty-eight schools recorded zero percent pass rate, with these mainly in rural and resettlement areas and with 31 of them coming from Matabeleland districts.
Cain Mathema
HARARE – Government has pledged to ensure that all students who sat for the 2020 Grade Seven examinations find a place in secondary school despite results obtained.
The latest development comes after a relatively poor pass rate in the 2020 Grade Seven results that were released recently.
Parliamentarians this Tuesday spoke on some of the factors that might have led to the poor pass rate, imploring the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to enhance e-learning in rural schools in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“What is being done to make sure that there are adequate resources for online learning in rural schools? What is being done to ensure that teachers are well remunerated to avoid industrial actions which affect learning.”
Parly summons minister over results
Senior Reporter
Parliament has summoned Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema to explain the Grade 7 pass rate decline.
The national pass rate is 37,11 percent, a drop of 9,79 percent from 2019’s 46,9 percent.
Eighty-eight schools recorded a zero percent pass rate, with these mainly in rural and resettlement areas and with 31 of them coming from Matabeleland districts.
Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda ruled during yesterday’s Question and Answer session that the Minister had to make a statement.
“The questions being raised are pertinent and the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (must) come up with a ministerial statement on the reasons behind the low pass rate and also explain the reasons behind the poor performance by some schools,” he said.
NewZimbabwe.com – The Zimbabwe News You Trust is Zimbabwe’s leading online newspaper and published by New Zimbabwe Media Ltd. The platform brings you the latest breaking News, Business, Showbiz, Sports, Diaspora and gives you everything you’ve come to expect and love.
Govt housing scheme a rip-off: PTUZ
BY TATENDA CHITAGU
THE Progressive Teachers’ Union in Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has described the government’s housing scheme launched last year as a rip-off equivalent to a money-lending scheme.
The housing scheme is part of the Government Employees Mutual Savings (Gems) project mooted in February last year.
Treasury has allegedly provided $75 million as seed capital for Gems, of which $13,7m has been allocated for teacher housing scheme projects.
But PTUZ said the housing scheme was a scam meant to fleece civil servants of their hard-earned money.
The Gems loans allegedly cover a broad spectrum such as home improvement, solar electrification, borehole installation, property acquisition, livestock rearing, among many other things.