3 000 schools needed to address deficit

Zim Now Writer

Government has said the country needs about 3 000 more schools in order to ensure children do not walk long distance to access learning institutions.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Tumisang Thabela said the construction of these new schools will adequately cover the shortage and improve the learning environment for children.

“We estimate that as a country we have a shortage of 3 000 schools. You will realise that from the census figures we moved from 13 million to 15 million which means we need more schools to cater for our children,” said Thabela.

Currently, the country has more than 10 000 schools with a total enrolment of more than 4,6 million and government plans to construct one primary and one secondary boarding school with adequate state-of-the-art facilities in each district.

Thabela added: “The distance that must be travelled by primary school learners is a maximum of 5km in terms of policy guidelines and for the secondary learner, it is 10km. We are still shy in terms of that because of the realities of the new geographies and new population in different places,” she said.

She said the ultimate objective is that every learner must access a school within a 5km distance.