Sunday News
Sunday News Reporter
21 February 2010
Zimbabweans from Matabeleland based in the United States met the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts, and Culture, Senator David Coltart, during his visit to that country to develop new strategies of improving Mathematics and Science results in the region’s schools.
The group calling itself Mthwakazi Education Committee said it is prepared to work with the ministry to bring the changes to the education sector in the region.
In 2007, the District Education Officer, Mr Dan Moyo, said they had set aside Mpopoma High School as a science centre in the region and Townsend High School as an agriculture centre.
He said this was meant to develop the quality of science results in the region and ensure that students from this region also made it to study sciences at university.
The committee chairperson, Dr Ernest Simela, said there was a need to work hand in glove with the ministry to bring results in science education in the region.
“This requires us to develop a database of qualified and willing people that can be involved,†he said.
The meeting was held in New York City in the United States of America on 2 February this year.
The committee presented a paper titled, The Rehabilitation of Education in Zimbabwe with Input for Matabeleland and Midlands Regions.
The committee consists of Dr Simela, Mr Julian Bhebhe, Mr Dominic Muntanga and Ms Thokozile Mkwananzi.
Dr Simela said the development of the new education strategy had to take into cognisance the fact that the Matabeleland region had for long been neglected.
“The new strategy should focus on the critical need for the development of Math and Science centres with a nationwide equitable distribution and most importantly recognising the neglect that has occurred in Matabeleland,†he said.
The committee chairperson said it is important for the region to actively participate in the curriculum review.
“Curriculum review is important and it is in the region’s interest to partner in this process. We stressed our desire to be involved in the process,†he said.
The committee said it is also important to focus on the computerisation of schools to reduce the digital divide.
“The senator talked about his own experience with old computers donated to Founders High School. The school was able to set them up and use them,†he said.
The committee said the problems in education were familiar territory as none of the issues presented to Senator Coltart were foreign to him as he is familiar with the plight of the region.
“Our interest to partner with him was expressed clearly. “To that he responded by highlighting the gravity of the task he has at hand in his efforts to re-build the educational system of Zimbabwe,†said Dr Simela.
He said, on his part, the minister said he requires resources to develop a new website for the ministry to be utilised for the proposal of policies, the partnership of people with similar skills and utilisation by the academies of excellence for fundraising and collection of school supplies and books.
“The website will also be helpful in the networking and recruiting of Math and Science teachers from other parts of the world,†he said.
The committee suggested a number of schools to be developed as academies of excellence in the region among them Milton High and Evelyn High both in Bulawayo, Plumtree High in Plumtree and JZ Moyo in West Nicholson.