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NewsDay

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‘Need to intensify education monitoring, data collection’

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Education monitoring and data collection has to be intensified to improve transparency and closer collaboration if the world is to improve on its Education for All (EFA) targets, Unesco has said.

Education monitoring and data collection has to be intensified to improve transparency and closer collaboration if the world is to improve on its Education for All (EFA) targets, Unesco has said.

by SILENCE CHARUMBIRA

Speaking at the launch of the EFA Global Monitoring report in Harare yesterday, Unesco senior programme specialist Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo said although there has been a marked political commitment by governments, expenditure on the education sector has to double.

“15%-20% of the national budget has to go to education and donors need to bridge the gap,” Medel-Anonuevo said.

Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora said government had endeavoured to address some of the challenges being faced by the education sector.

“As you may be aware ladies and gentlemen, most of the challenges the education sector is facing are systemic and may not be addressed in a short space of time. However, the Government of Zimbabwe has endeavoured to address some of the challenges and pledges to continue doing so as evidenced by the national EFA 2014 review report,” Dokora said.

“The national 2014 EFA review report has demonstrated great strides that we have taken as a country towards the achievement of the EFA goals by 2015. Zimbabwe is among the top countries in the world and Southern Africa in particular in the achievement of these EFA goals.”

He said the government planned to broaden the secondary education curriculum to offer technical and vocational subjects. “The government has proposed some reforms of the curriculum for both primary and secondary education and also plans to broaden the later to offer technical and vocational subjects,” Dokora said.

“The education system also gives a variety of skills to youths and adults including programs for the out of school youths. Every school in the context of a revamped policy on none formal education as launched in March this year, every school is now a community learning centre.”

Dokora said Zimbabwe’s literacy rate (92,4% as of 2010) has been achieved through increasing access to one formal education classes throughout the country.