ZBC
By ZBC Reporter
31 May 2013
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has granted Zimbabwe US$23.6 million to be used to train teachers and improve their professional development and performance.
The grant was announced after the GPE board of directors met on 22 May 2013 and approved Zimbabwe’s application.
In welcoming the contribution, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said the grant will boost the government’s on-going efforts to revitalise the education sector.
“I am delighted that Zimbabwe has been admitted to membership of the GPE and that this funding application has been successful. There has not been much professional development and in-house training of our teachers for over a decade and so this grant which will focus on teacher retraining will address a key need.
“We have some of the best teachers in Africa, but their skills have declined during the recent period of economic and political turmoil. Accordingly, this funding comes at a critically important moment as we seek to restore excellence to Zimbabwe’s education system,” Senator Coltart said.
Zimbabwe is among 10 countries from sub-Saharan Africa whose applications were approved by the board.
Others are Benin, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritania, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania and Zambia.
The grant will be administered over three years and will be managed by UNICEF.
The GPE is a multi-lateral organisation solely devoted to getting all children in school and improving the quality of education.
Its partners include developing countries, multi-lateral organisations, donors, the private sector, teachers, civil society/NGOs, and private foundations.
With its headquarters in Washington DC, membership of the GPE has grown from 7 countries in 2003 to the current 60.