Schools of Excellence snag

Zimbabwean

By Paul Ndlovu

19 January 2011

HARARE – The launch of Academies of Excellence might take longer than expected due to alleged financial constraints.

In November last year, the government identified 20 schools that were to be turned into Academies of Excellence starting from January this year. Each province had two schools chosen for the programme, which is expected to run from January 2011 until 2017. Eveline Girls High School and Milton Boys High Schools were chosen as Academies of Excellence in Bulawayo.

In Matabeleland South, the academy for boys will be at Plumtree High while JZ Moyo will house another group. In Matabeleland North, Binga Secondary and Fatima High will be co-education facilities with boys and girls. The same concept of co-education will apply in the Midlands, Masvingo, Mashonaland West, and Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces.

Harare will have boys at Churchill and girls at Girls High, with Manicaland having boys at Mutare Boys High and girls at Mutare Girls High schools. The programme has not yet started at the targeted schools in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North.

Eveline High School head, Rosemary Moyo, said the school was still waiting for the Government to fulfil its promise.

“The programme has not yet started, but we are waiting for the government to fulfil what it promised,” said Moyo. “The infrastructure in the school is dilapidated and we need money for rehabilitation. However, as a school we have started doing activities to try and revamp our facilities. For instance we have started painting the school. We are also glad that former Eveline pupils in the Diaspora are chipping in to assist us.”

Bulawayo provincial education director (PED), Dan Moyo, declined to comment and referred all questions to the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart.

“That is the Minister’s project, you can talk to him for finer details. What I can only say is that the programme has not started,” said Moyo.

The overall goal of the Academies of Excellence is to ensure rapid and sustainable recovery and development of the education system. The programme seeks to curtail loss of educational opportunities, especially among disadvantaged students.