Education Minister Torerayi Moyo commended schools for their complete compliance with the regulations set by the government in response to the cholera pandemic.
Zimbabwe is among other Southern African countries that have been affected by the outbreak since February 2023.
“When schools opened, we were already faced with the pandemic,” Dr. Moyo said. “We requested, through a circular, that all schools ensure they have water at all times at washing facilities, at the gate and outside classroom blocks. We are glad that at all the schools we have toured thus far in various provinces, there is complete compliance.”
“I would also like to commend Bulawayo Province for being the best province in terms of output. Your results have been the best: 80 percent pass rate in 2021, 86 percent in 2022, and a remarkable 92 percent pass rate last year. This is a great improvement and these are fantastic results.”
School authorities present implored the government to inject more funds into the development of schools’ infrastructure to enhance learning conditions. A representative from the National Association for Secondary Schools pointed out the acute shortage of classrooms, forcing some schools to resort to double sessions.
“Our schools do not have enough infrastructure,” the representative said. “We have to resort to double sessions in some schools. Such learning conditions affect learners and we end up having poor results.”
Dr Moyo acknowledged the challenges and assured the schools that the government is looking to allocate at least US$5,000 to 250 schools each towards the development of learning infrastructure.
