US$38m education fund Phase II signed

By Felex Share

28 March 2012

Government and its development partners yesterday signed a U$38 million agreement under the Education Transition Fund Phase II. The funds, provided by UKAid, are expected to enhance and improve governance systems and training of teachers.

Unicef, working with the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, will manage the fund for the next four years. The agreement comes at a time Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said his ministry had engaged the Ministry of Home Affairs to curb illegal selling of textbooks donated to Government.

Minister Coltart said Government will not hesitate to punish provincial and district education officers and headmasters who might have diverted the textbooks. “I have talked to the Home Affairs Ministry and they said they would soon give a directive to the Zimbabwe Republic Police such that they launch a blitz on the vendors,” he said.

Minister Coltart said the vendors will be quizzed to reveal their sources.

“If this continues, we would destroy the education sector which we have been building for many years.”

He said transporters of the textbooks were paid once confirmation of receipt of the delivery of all books was provided by each school.

He said upon delivery, all school authorities were instructed to ensure appropriate stamping and identification of the books to keep the books protected from illegal sales.

Steel cabinets were also provided to the schools to ensure safekeeping of the books. “My permanent secretary will issue a directive to all education directors at provincial level down to the headmasters telling them of their responsibilities.  “Anyone found on the wrong side of the law will face the full wrath of the law.”

Thousands of the 22 million textbooks donated to schools under the ETF Phase 1 have flooded the informal market with reports that some officials involved in the distribution exercise diverted them for their personal gain.

Minister Coltart said the agreement signed yesterday will have a “huge impact” on Zimbabwe’s education.  “This phase is broader in scope as it covers a lot of strategic areas,” he said.  “The funds will also help in the finalisation of a national sector planning framework for education, the development of a national school grants initiative and train key ministry personnel.”

He said the facility will also introduce second chance programmes to school drop outs.  “This provides all children with equal opportunity that can transform their future,” he said.

Head of UKAid in Zimbabwe Mr Dave Fish said this was a country of “massive potential”.

“Its natural human resources are so great that if used for the benefit of all the people there would soon be no need for external donors.” He said governments should give children the necessary support to develop as they are the future of any nation.