US$100 Million Needed to Revamp Education Sector — Coltart

The Standard
Saturday 6 June 2009

THE country’s comatose education sector requires at least US$100 million to re-equip schools with textbooks and restore some normalcy in the sector, the Minister of Education, Senator David Coltart said last week.

Coltart who took over the ministry in February recently revealed that there was a shocking shortage of textbooks at schools in a clear sign of the state of the near collapse of the education sector.

“The Education ministry needs over US$90 million to reach the one child to a textbook ratio,” he said.
“With the decline in education, there is a danger that we will lose an entire generation.”

Coltart said his ministry had sent out the begging bowl to Western governments and donors who have set certain benchmarks before they could assist the inclusive government with direct aid.

The restocking of schools with textbooks lies third in Coltart’s priority list, which also includes the re-opening of all schools closed last year after teachers deserted in protest over poor pay and ensuring the results for pupils who sat for school leaving examinations last year are released.

According to Coltart, the United Nations will be sending out an appeal to international donors and Western governments for financial aid to revive the nation’s education sector.

“Part of the aid will go into teachers’ salaries with the other being channelled to the Ministry to revive the country’s education sector,” Coltart said.

The education sector is a victim of the country’s decade-long economic recession.

To add to the woes facing the sector, there is a huge teacher shortage at schools as a number of them are reluctant to take up their jobs over the paltry US$100 monthly allowances.

About 25 000 teachers quit the profession last year over low pay and trekked to neighbouring countries, mainly South Africa.