Coltart invites Zimbabwean Diaspora to help rebuild education

Zimbabwean

By ZDFG Secretariat

Friday 23 July 2010

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart (pictured) has invited Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom to be key players in the “Centre of excellence” programme and in writing “objective and non-partisan history books on Zimbabwe.”
Senator Coltart, a minister in the coalition government was speaking to the Zimbabwe Diaspora Focus Group (ZDFG); a coalition of UK based Zimbabwean organisations in London Tuesday 20th July.
Senator Coltart is visiting the UK where he will address parliamentarians, Her Majesty’s Government and potential donors on the state of the education system in Zimbabwe.
He told the ZDFG meeting that Zimbabwe was losing an entire generation due to the run down system. His ministry had started a programme where two schools in every province have been identified for deliberate development into centres of excellence.
“In Matabeleland North for example, we have chosen Binga and Fatima to be centres of excellence. We are going to put resources into these schools, identify intelligent disadvantaged children in the region and send them to these schools,” Senator Coltart said.
He went on: “The Diaspora has a role be it as part of Old school associations or as organisations to resource these schools.”
Senator Coltart asked the Diaspora community not to limit their input to the identified centres of excellence but assist any schools or educational institutions of their choice.
He pointed out that Zimbabwe’s curriculum needed to be reviewed and he would soon be announcing a board to run ZIMSEC, a body in charge of curriculum and examinations.
It has been widely argued by many Zimbabweans over the years that the history of Zimbabwe is not truly reflected by the material in use in schools.

Senator Coltart said: “Zimbabwe now needs history books that are non-partisan, non-racial and reflect the true history of the country.  “I look at the Diaspora as having knowledgeable and skilled people who can write these books and be part of the curriculum review.”
On teachers and human right issues, Senator Coltart, a former human rights lawyer in Bulawayo himself, said he wanted to see human right awareness in schools, but the challenge would be to work with the Ministry of higher education which was responsible for teachers’ colleges. He is working to ensure that no schools are used for any activity, such as bases that may be viewed as promoting abuse of human rights.
Senator Coltart admitted that the working conditions for teachers in Zimbabwe were difficult with the majority of schools in rural areas not having sanitation, proper accommodation and basic necessities.
“However, I am desperate to remedy the situation and need Zimbabwean teachers who are abroad to come home at some point and work again.”

The Senator was advised of the desperate situation and de-skilling among Zimbabwean qualified teachers who are currently “in limbo” in the UK by Sarah Harland of the Zimbabwe Association, a member organisation of the ZDFG.
In his response, Senator Coltart said: “I would like to meet Zimbabwean teachers based here in the UK to discuss issues as they may raise.”
The ZDFG chair Lucia Dube confirmed that discussions were underway to enable former teachers to meet with the Minister on the August in London.

Background on ZDFG

The ZDFG is a coalition of UK based Zimbabwean organisations formed on the 19th February 2010 at Ilford, London. It seeks to offer Zimbabweans a platform to work collaboratively and in a coordinated way, on issues that affect their stay in the UK and sharing ideas on contributing to making Zimbabwe a better place.
The Focus Group is responsible for improving the outcomes and well-being of Zimbabweans in the UK and beyond. The Coalition builds on the accountability of member organizations to those they serve, and to the community through their governance structures.
Among other things, the ZDFG was set-up to help facilitate discussions between HMG, the Zimbabwean Diaspora in the UK and the Government of Zimbabwe on policy issues. The ZDFG engages Her Majesty’s Government through quarterly meetings on issues of mutual interest. Thorough consultations are done by the ZDFG before the meetings to ensure that what is presented to HMG is reflective of the genuine voice of Zimbabweans living in the UK.

To achieve effectiveness, the ZDFG is organised according to various Portfolios. New member organisations are encouraged to identify and join the portfolio that best suits its main constitutional objectives.
Seminars and consultative conferences, and action plans are organised according to portfolios as follows:

1.   Organisations for those in the UK  -               Lead – ZDDI (Alex Magaisa)
2.       Charities for benefit of those in Zim           Lead – ZCA (Lucia Dube)
3.       Youth -                                                       Lead – Positive Youth (Shirley Michaels)
4.       Women -                                                    Lead – Zimbabwe Women Network (Silva Hove)
5.       Business Community -                               Lead – ZG Club (Kevin Pawadyira)
6.       Human Rights -                                          Lead – MAGGEMM (Mpho Ncube)
7.       Faith and Religious Groups -                     Lead – CZCLUK (Qobo Mayisa)
8.       Arts & Culture -                                          Lead – Ngonyama (Million Songanga Moyo)
9.       Immigration & Asylum -                             Lead – Zimbabwe Association (Patson Muzuwa)
10.   Think Tanks, Researchers & Academics – Lead – Beacon Mbiba/Esinath Ndiweni
11.   Media -                                                       Lead – AZJ in UK (Clayton Peel)