The Archbishop of Bulawayo, Alex Thomas Kaliyanil has said that some Catholic Church-run rural schools continue to struggle resulting in low pass rates due to the various challenges faced by learners.
In the first circular of the year to the church members, Archbishop Kaliyanil noted that due to both a lack of interest in education and economic hardships, rural schools continue to face difficulties.
“Our rural schools are still struggling due to economic challenges and lack of interest from the people in education,” he said in a letter -AoB/circular 01 2024 written to the clergy, religious and laity of the Archdiocese of Bulawayo
To buttress his sentiments, the archbishop revealed the Grade Seven results for 2023 produced by both urban and rural primary schools run by the Catholic Church which showed a stark contrast between schools in urban areas and those in rural areas.
| Name of School | Total Number in Grade 7 | Pass rate |
| St. Patricks | 169 | 99.4 % |
| St. Thomas Aquinas | 29 | 96.5 % |
| Minda Primary | 46 | 91.3 % |
| St. Mbaga Tuzinde, Nkayi | 36 | 88.8 % |
| St. Bernard | 136 | 87.5 % |
| AMR Primary, Lupane | 58 | 86.2 % |
| Embakwe Primary | 42 | 40 % |
| Magama Primary | 84 | 39.2 % |
| Regina Mundi Primary | 29 | 31 % |
| Ekusileni Primary | 16 | 25 % |
| St Joseph’s | 114 | 23.7 % |
| Brunapeg | 47 | 23.4 % |
| Empandeni Primary | 67 | 22.4 % |
Weighing in on the matter, Secretary for Education in the Congress for Transformation party Thobekile Moyo stated that low pass rates from rural schools were not surprising because, among other things, many rural students struggle with early childhood poverty, a lack of access to high-quality teaching or reading materials and instruction starting from the Early Childhood Development (ECD) stage.
“To meet the specific needs of children and students in rural areas, the government and developmental partners working with communities must employ a variety of strategies that can help guarantee access to learning, which will improve pass rates,” Moyo said.
“You find that students in rural schools often have fewer educational opportunities than their counterparts in urban areas but teachers can work with families to improve outcomes provided educational resources are there. In this economic climate most people are busy trying to look for money and few have time to prioritise education when they can be looking for odd jobs here and there. This is where the government comes in and partners to provide adequate resources in order to motivate both the teachers and learners, which will be a win for the community.”
Moyo went on to say that limited funding of rural areas also affected development in various sectors and education was one such area.
“For instance, learners in rural districts may not have regular access to technology, which would enable them to engage in learning activities that are generally more engaging and provide more information. That lack of technology is an issue that affects the district as a whole because there is no network in the first place yet in this day and age, the internet has become a need,” Moyo summed.
