IN our edition yesterday, Education minister David Coltart (DC)told NewsDay Editor Constantine Chimakure (ND) about the challenges faced by the education sector.
In this final installment, the minister speaks on how the sector can be improved. Below are the excerpts:
ND: What needs to be done to improve the quality of our education, mainly pass rates at both “O” and “A” Levels? DC: It is very hard to describe in a few sentences what must be done to improve the quality of our education. The starting point is a massive increase in the amount of money allocated to the education sector. Most of that money needs to be directed towards improving teachers’ conditions of service so that we can attract a much higher calibre of teachers into the teaching profession. In addition, massive investment needs to be made in the construction of new schools and in the rehabilitation of existing schools. Work on the review and reform of the curriculum needs to be expedited so that our curriculum and pedagogical practices are brought in line with the best in the world.
ND: What are the problems affecting BEAM? How many children are benefiting from BEAM and how are they selected? DC: BEAM faces major challenges. I should stress that this programme is not run by my ministry, but is run by the Ministry of Labour and Social Services and to that extent comment should be sought from the relevant minister. Be that as it may, the review of BEAM done last year by the Ministry of Labour revealed the following challenges. More than half of the identified orphans and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe (53,5%) presently receive no support from BEAM. This amounts to some 308 000 children. So while hundreds of thousands of children are benefiting from BEAM, unacceptably high number of children remain out of school. BEAM recipients are selected by BEAM committees throughout the country. In theory, they are selected on the basis of objective criteria relating to poverty, but I received numerous complaints countrywide that these criteria are often not applied in the selection of children. In short if we are to deal with the challenges being faced by BEAM, it needs a massive investment by government and reform of the selection process.
ND: What is the state of the examination council, Zimsec? DC: Zimsec has been stabilised and my view is that it is improving in its service delivery. The number of children writing examinations has steadily increased since 2009. Examinations are being marked on time and the integrity of the entire examination system is within the bounds of internationally acceptable standards.
ND: Why is it yearly government grapples to pay examination markers and there are results mix-ups? DC: Zimsec has battled to pay examination markers primarily because Treasury has not released monies due to Zimsec in respect of Grade 7 examinations, which has undermined Zimsec’s cash flow situation. This in turn has affected Zimsec’s ability to pay examination markers on time. There have been a few results mix-ups, but they equate to a tiny percentile of the examination papers sat for.
Furthermore, Zimsec fees are a quarter of those charged by, for example, Cambridge and in the context of the very limited budget at its disposal I think that Zimsec delivers very high quality service.
Indeed, I do not think that we fully appreciate what a great national asset we have in Zimsec. In saying this I do not in any way reject the criticisms, but believe that there is a steady improvement in the quality of the service provided by Zimsec.
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ND: Why is the ministry allowing paid extra-lessons by teachers? Doesn’t this disadvantage the poor who cannot afford to pay for the extra lessons?
DC: The ministry has not banned the provision by teachers of extra lessons where extra lessons given by teachers as a genuine attempt to improve a child’s understanding of a particular subject that is in the best interests of that particular child.
However, when teachers deliberately do not complete the curriculum and then give extra lessons and charge for them to make up for that deficiency, that amounts to professional misconduct and subject to disciplinary action. These practices do disadvantage poor children and are unacceptable.
ND: Schools open (today), will school fees go up? DC: Government school fees will not go up this term. School fees in non-government schools and levies in all schools may go up subject to the dictates of the Education Act and Secretary of Education circulars being complied with. The law and policy is that before fees in non-government schools and levies in all schools raised they must receive the approval of a majority of parents who attend a meeting called to approve such increases where there has been a 20% quorum. In addition, any such increases must also be approved by the Secretary of Education. Any increases made without these procedures having been followed are illegal and unenforceable.
ND: As a parting note, what do you want to say to Zimbabweans? DC: Although the education sector has stabilised and improved in some ways it remains in crisis. If we are to resolve the crisis, the education sector must be treated in a non-partisan manner and must receive a much greater proportion of the national budget in real terms. This will require a sustained investment in education over many decades. For example the improvement in the education sectors in Singapore, South Korea and Finland has been achieved over the last four decades. In other words, Zimbabwe’s education sector will not be improved overnight.
However, if our dream is to transform Zimbabwe into a first rate nation then we have to first transform our education system.
There is a grave danger that we will simply rest on our laurels and be deluded into thinking that because our education system has been outstanding in the past it will naturally continue to remain in this state.
As good as our education system has been in the past, it faces very serious challenges.
Those challenges can only be addressed if difficult political decisions are taken to cut back on other areas of government spending and to invest in education.
Tied to this, of course, is the implementation of realistic economic policies which will attract investment, both domestic and international, which in turn will see increased revenues going to Treasury for onward investment in the education sector.
