The Herald
25 Feb 2010
Herald Reporter
Government will, in the next four months, distribute some 10 million textbooks to primary schools countrywide, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart has said.
He said the programme is expected to ease shortages of reading materials in schools.
Accepting 17 000 lap-desks worth US$240 000 donated to Zimbabwe by the Australian government at Blackfordby Primary School in Harare yesterday, Minister Coltart said the programme will subsequently spread to secondary schools.
He said Government, through its partners, had raised US$30 million for the project and was in the process of finalising contracts with local printers.
“Many schools do not have enough textbooks and with this programme we look forward to reducing the student-book ratio from the current 17 students per book to 1:1 or 1:2,” he said.
One hundred and seventeen schools will receive the lap-desks with some having already received the desks.
Lap-desks are small, portable desks that fit on a student’s lap whether they are seated on a bench, chair or on the floor.
The platform is wide enough to accommodate a textbook and a writing pad or notebook.
The desks, made of plastic materials, are relatively cheaper compared to conventional desks.
They are believed to be the solution to the unavailability of furniture in rural and farm schools.
Minister Coltart welcomed the gesture by the Australian government.
Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr John Courtney said his country would offer assistance in areas such as food security, water and sanitation and education.
He said Australia has contributed US$1,8 million to the Education Transition Fund being run by Unicef for textbooks, teaching equipment and stationery for primary school children.
Lap-desk Company country representative Mr Munyaradzi Javangwe said his company had noted that infrastructure and resources at Government and private schools were overstretched.
He said his company would play its part in improving the quality of education in Zimbabwe.
Swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry, the Lap-desk Company country ambassador, also attended the handover ceremony.