News Day

By Obey Manayiti

24 May 2013

The United States Global Partnership for Education board has granted $23,6 million for teacher retraining in Zimbabwe.

According to the Global Partnership for Education Grants, $439 million was disbursed to enhance the quality of education for children in 12 low income countries, including Zimbabwe.

“The Global Partnership for Education’s Board of Directors approved $439 million in grants to 12 developing countries, providing critical funding and momentum towards quality education for all children,” the board said in a statement yesterday.

“This new financing will increase access to basic education in fragile states, improve the quality of education, generate measurable results and champion girls’ education.”

Global Partnership chief executive officer Alice Albright said the funding was crucial for the benefiting countries to make progress on getting all children into school for quality education.

Education minister David Coltart said the funds would be channelled towards teacher retraining, professional development and performance, as well as capacity building for strategic planning, budgeting and monitoring of results.

The Zimbabwean

By Thabani Dube

24 May 2013

The National University of Science and Technology, which presently accommodates 32 students, will soon house 4, 000 students following government’s approval to invest $42 million in sporting and residence infrastructural development, to host the Zone VI, 2014 Under 20 youth games in Bulawayo.

“The games provide a unique opportunity to address the lack of residential accommodation at the National University of Science and Technology to construct a suitable Games Village at the campus that houses 4, 000 athletes,” said Minister of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, in a press statement.

Coltart said it was up to the country to choose the host city for the games in which Harare and Bulawayo were in contention.

“Accordingly a key component of the decision is the construction of halls of residences at NUST which will be used as the Games Village to accommodate over 4, 000 young men and women sportspersons from SADC region in December 2014,” said Coltart.

Coltart said, after the tournament, the Games Village would be handed over to the university to provide residential accommodation for some 4, 000 students with effect from January 2015.

“At present NUST can only accommodate 32 students although it has a student body of several thousands,” added Coltart.

The Zone VI under 20 youth games is part of Supreme Council for Sport in Africa under the auspices of Africa Union.

The tournament which has sporting disciplines in athletics, boxing, netball, tennis, swimming, football and judo is a biennial sport platform aimed at improving the development of sport in the SADC region in preparation for continental and global sport competitions.

Some of the various learning institutions and public sporting facilities that will be used and are set to receive major rehabilitation include Bulawayo Polytechnic, Hillside Teacher’s College, City Hall, Bulawayo Club for the Blind, Bulawayo Athletic Club, Barbourfields and White City stadia, Parirenyatwa Pool, and six local schools.

PRESS STATEMENT

 

BULAWAYO CHOSEN AS HOST CITY FOR SUPREME COUNCIL FOR SPORT IN AFRICA ZONE VI 2014 UNDER 20 GAMES : DECEMBER 2014

The Zimbabwean Government through the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, in November 2012 signed a Protocol Agreement to host the Supreme Council of Sport in Africa (SCSA) ZONE VI 2014 Under-20 Youth Games. The Zone VI games are held under the auspices of the African Union, and Zimbabwe has been selected to host the 2014 games for the SADC region in December 2014.  The Zone VI under 20 Youth games are a biennial sport platform aimed at improving the development of sport in the SADC region in preparation for higher continental and global sport competitions.

It was up to Zimbabwe to choose the host city for these games and two were in contention namely Harare and Bulawayo.  I am pleased to announce that Cabinet on 21^st May 2013 unanimously agreed to accept my proposal that the 2014 Zone VI under 20 games be held in Bulawayo. I should stress that this decision enjoyed  support from all three parties to the inclusive Government and I am grateful for the support given to my proposal in particular by His Excellency the President Robert Mugabe, Vice President Joyce Mujuru, Right Honourable Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Minister Welshman Ncube and Minister of Finance Tendai Biti.

The sporting disciplines set to be hosted by the games in Bulawayo are Athletics, Boxing, Basketball, Netball, Tennis, Swimming, Football and Judo. In compliance with this Cabinet decision to host the games in Bulawayo, the Government of Zimbabwe will rehabilitate the sporting facilities at the selected venues in time for December 2014.

The major negative point against Bulawayo being able to host the Games was the absence of a suitable Games Village to house the 4000 athletes. However it was argued that the Games provided a unique opportunity to address the lack of residential accomodation at NUST which at present can only accommodate 32 students although it has a student body of several thousand. Accordingly a key component of the decision is the construction of halls of residences at the National University of Science and Technology which will be used as the Games Village. The Games Village will be sited on the NUST Campus to accommodate over 4000 young men and women sportspersons. After the Games have been concluded the Games Village will be handed over to NUST and will then provide residential accomodation for some 4000 student with effect from January 2015.

In addition a wide variety of existing sports facilities in Bulawayo will be upgraded as is set out below. The total estimated investment by Government is the sum of US$42 million, the bulk of which will be spent on the Games Village/Residences for NUST.

BULAWAYO: SPORT AND ACCOMODATION FACILITIES  FOR ZONE VI 2014 YOUTH GAMES

YOUTH GAMES

The decision by Cabinet to host such an illustrious international sport tournament is very commendable and derives legacy benefits for the host city Bulawayo. Most importantly this decision will expand Zimbabwe’s capacity to host future games of such magnitude in both Harare and Bulawayo. This therefore presents Zimbabwe with high chances of successfully bidding for other bigger regional and international tournaments.

Senator David Coltart

MINISTER OF EDUCATION, SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE

23 May 2013

New Zimbabwe

By New Zimbabwe Reporter

23 May 2013

UNIONS have dismissed as a dud a move by the Education Ministry to promote to substantive heads some 5,000 teachers who have been acting school heads around the country, in some cases for up to 12 years.

Education Minister David Coltart confirmed the development saying: “We do not have a particular number of posts but we have an unacceptably high number of education officers on acting capacity and we would love to have them elevated to substantive posts.

“This is a policy issue in our ministry and our intention is to do that as early as possible but of course that is subject to budgetary issues and approval by PSC.”

But Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu said discussions with the ministry had not included conditions of services for the promoted officers.

“Our deliberations had nothing to do with the conditions of service for teachers but we talked about the issue of transfers and promotions which have been frozen. The government explained its financial position and that it was unable to pay the salaries for new posts,” he said.

“However, it was explained that despite the constrained budget for the year, it was possible for the Government to promote about 5 000 teachers who are acting heads. In some places it has already been done and we can confirm it.”

“We are aware of that but the whole plan is that they will elevate people to those posts and fail to increase their salaries. What is important is to give people rewards for the increased responsibility,” he said.

“This is piecemeal issue because without an increase in salaries those promotions are a nullity. I think the Government is doing this because it is afraid of punishment as we had planned to take the matter to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).”

“That number (5,000) is nothing compared to the vacant posts in the country. It is sad that the budget for the ministry remains low despite the increase in enrolment at our schools. The education sector remains in dire straits in terms of budget and the disbursements are slow,” he said.

Up to 80 percent of the heads at some 8,000 schools around the country are understood to be working in an acting capacity.

News Day

By Dumisani Sibanda

23 May 2013

CONSTITUTIONAL experts yesterday hailed the adoption of a new constitution, but warned that the document could be rendered a paper tiger in the absence of a culture of constitutionalism.

President Robert Mugabe yesterday signed the constitution into law at a historic ceremony held at State House in Harare.

“Obviously this constitution is better than the one we had (Lancaster House Constitution),” said Greg Linington, a constitutional lawyer and law lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.

“It has aspects that deal with respect for the rule of law. This is an important thing. But then it is just a piece of paper – there is need for the will to uphold the constitution. We should have constitutionalism rooted in our society. For example, although in the old constitution we had provision for the independence of the judiciary, we saw some judges being forced off the bench. They had to resign,” Linington said.

He said it was good that a two-thirds majority was needed to amend the constitution adding it would be healthy if the current situation in Parliament where no party has a two-thirds majority would persist unlike the case before the 2000 elections where Zanu PF had more than two-thirds that was required to change the charter.

“What we will now need to do is to cultivate a culture of constitutionalism by teaching aspects of the constitution at our schools. We should also start by observing the constitutions of the various bodies that we belong to.”

Human rights lawyer and Education minister David Coltart said the adoption of the constitution was a historic event.

“It is significant in that for the first time Zimbabweans sat down peacefully to agree on this basic law, which is different from the Lancaster House Constitution which was thrust on us,” he said.

“It has its flaws, but it has significant provisions like the Bill of Rights which has guarantees for a number of important freedoms like freedom of expression. However, the signing of the document into law is just the first step. What is needed is for all Zimbabweans is to embrace the constitution.

“Political leaders should respect the constitution in letter and spirit. Otherwise it will remain a body of words without life. Just having a constitution with good provisions is not a guarantee for constitutional democracy. The Soviet Union had a good Bill of Rights, but it was useless because it was not respected.”

23 May 2013

I am absolutely delighted to announce that in Washington today the Global Partnership for Education Board met and decided to grant Zimbabwe the sum of US$23,6 million for teacher retraining, professional development and performance, as well as capacity building for strategic planning, budgeting and monitoring of results.

This is a culmination of several years work involving the World Bank, our partners in the Education Transition Fund and Unicef. The GPE is the successor to the World Bank’s Fast Track Initiative (itself designed to promote investment in Education) a programme that Zimbabwe did not benefit from because of the years of political turmoil between 2000 and 2009. In 2011 I was invited to a meeting of the GPE in Denmark and first made the case for Zimbabwe’s admission to membership of the GPE. That was followed up with a meeting I had with the GPE in Washington in May 2012 which saw Zimbabwe admitted as a member of the GPE.

Since then we have been working closely with our partners in the World Bank, ETF and Unicef and produced a proposal for funding which has today been accepted.

When the programme commences it will focus on improving the skills of our existing teachers, most of whom have done years of service without any meaningful in house training and professional development. I believe that this programme will result in a marked improvement in the quality of teaching in Zimbabwe.

My gratitude is extended to our many friends in Unicef, the diplomatic community and the World Bank who have helped us secure this critically important funding.

The Herald

By Tonderai Rutsito

23 May 2013

European-based non-profit-making organisation Worldreader recently donated 50 tablets to King George School VI for the Physically Challenged in Bulawayo. The tablets are of the Amazon Kindle fire variety, which have a capacity to carry 3 000 books and they came preloaded with hundreds of both local and international educational books.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart, who handed over the donation, commended Worldreader for its kind gesture.

“Worldreader has already provided more than 400 000 books worldwide so far and increased its presence in Africa, and we are glad that today they are in Bulawayo and these books will go a long mile in assisting our students,” said Senator Coltart.

The minister said it was imperative that Government institutes the reformation and review of the education curriculum to align it with the latest technology developments worldwide.

Senator Coltart said a lot is being done to digitalise all books and this is expected to be complete soon as negotiations with publishers are already at an advanced stage.

“We have a huge challenge as a ministry of trying to maintain over 8 000 schools on a budget of only US$500 0000,” he said.

Worldreader marketing manager Nadja Borovac highlighted that already three of the biggest publishers in Zimbabwe have agreed to digitalise all their content and this will be available on their android app, online portal and the popular biNu Platform.

“The biNu platform is a virtual platform that makes any phone a smartphone in the cloud by allowing non-smartphones to act exactly like smartphones without any hardware hindrances.

“Today most feature phones cannot run apps like Whatsapp but on biNu, even the Worldreader app is simply easy and fast to read online,” said Dani Zacarias, the digital publishing manager with Worldreader.

Micheal Rothwell Smith said some of the top publishers they are working with include Amabooks and OpenBooks an online platform for publishers.

“It is Worldreader’s vision to see books reaching places where they are needed and today we feel we have successfully initiated our cause in Zimbabwe,” he said.

The kindle books were given out to the school as part of the digital library, reaching out to hundreds of the students as they no longer need to wait for turns to use the few books in their library.

The Amazon Kindle books also come with Wi-Fi and edge internet connectivity to download new content for the readers periodically.

Kindle fire tabs are simple tablets without LCD technology and come in simple black and white display which does not require much power to function and bring texture which is as good as standard books without any eye straining effects on the reader.

The tablets can be operated for more than three weeks without the battery being recharged. Worldreader identifies schools, teachers that need assistance and works with communities and local officials, partners with local and international publishers and other top-tier companies to bring e-books to under-served families in the developing world.

Worldreader has also donated tabs to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda .

The Herald

By Herald Reporter

23 May 2013

The Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Ministry has applied for US$23 million from the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Education for teacher retraining. Speaking at a press conference in Harare yesterday Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said Zimbabwe had never benefited from this funding because of unnamed domestic challenges yet other countries throughout Africa had benefited.

The decision on whether the country’s application was successful or not was expected anytime this week.
If it is not approved, he said Government would seek resources from the ETF for the programme.

“If the funding application is successful, Zimbabwe will in the next few years benefit from the US$23 million for teacher retraining. You will appreciate that it does not matter how many text books you have in a classroom. Even if you have the perfect roofing and have desks, if you don’t have motivated and trained teachers in the latest possible standards, your education sector is undermined,” Minister Coltart said.

News Day

By News Day Reporter

23 May 2013

THE European Union (EU) has provided a $17 million grant for the second phase of the Education Transition Fund and an additional $640 000 from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department for the improvement of activities that improve nutrition in the country.

EU’s head of delegation to Zimbabwe Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia said in a statement yesterday that the contribution was an acknowledgement of the strong partnership that exists between Zimbabwe and development partners to improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans, especially children.

“This contribution reaffirms our support for the government’s priority to revitalise the education sector and ensure that every Zimbabwean child has access to quality education,” Dell’Ariccia said.

“It is also in line with Millennium Development Goal number two to ensure that, by 2015, all Zimbabwean boys and girls will be able to complete a full programme of primary education.”

Other development partners in the Education Transition Fund also pledged $123 million towards improvement of the education sector over the next four years.

EU said the fund would go towards improving sector planning, providing grants to financially constrained schools to meet their non-salary resource needs, strengthening school monitoring and supervision, improving the quality of teaching and learning and reviewing the curriculum.

Additional interventions will include providing teaching and learning materials, assessing student learning outcomes and providing second chance learning opportunities to out-of-school children.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister Senator David Coltart commended the EU for the contribution.

“Since the establishment of the ETF in 2009, the education sector has been stabilised and is now poised to start improving steadily. Without the generous assistance of the EU to the ETF since 2009 we would not have been able to achieve what we have done,” Coltart said.

“As I have said often before, the stabilisation of the education sector goes way beyond simply improving education; happy children in school lead to happy parents and guardians which in turn promotes peace throughout an entire nation.”

The Zimbabwean

22 May 2013

#hopesforZimbabwe Peace, Tolerance, Freedom, Democracy, efficient and proper use of all natural resources, Justice for all. – David Coltart @DavidColtart

Where the greater of the people and ethics prevail, where the fellow #Zimbo comes before individual financial gain. Africas. – Advocate @Hove_10

I want a peaceful #Zimbabwe where my children and grandchildren can freely enjoy all the rights that I can only dream about today. – sokwanele @sokwanele

I want a zimbabwe where there is quality universal healthcare & education and our natural resources benefit all. – Salvatore @sorobee 53m

The eradication of greed and corruption. – @LivingZimbabwe 2h

One free of graft , corruption & greed . One where what we work for is not liable to being grabbed from us by someone like Grace

We want economic prosperity through revival of industries hence creating jobs that fairly remunarate, fair allocation of natural resources, fair application of the law, full utilisation of the land , democracy is required. Carol Dube, works in insurance

I like a stable, peaceful, democratic progressing nation where people’s rights are respected. – Victor Mariranyika, Mutare Teachers College

My country no mater wat. – Sukoluhle Langelihle Gwizi, Works at Delta Beverages

When that happens, we can ALL move back home! – Ann Donnelly, Centurian Gauteng

Law and order. Feeling safe is important. – Tashana Leigh Stockil

A #Zimbabwe with no need for these campaigns. – Ricky E. Marima @RickyEMarima

A Zimbabwe we use to know, the land of plenty, The Bread Basket Of Africa. I want once apon a time.

Taneta navo vanamnaka mkamwa ava- We are tired of these good for nothing people. – Obert Gumbere

I love Zimbabwe,Zimbabwe is my country,what ever the clock comes from Zimbabwe is my papa.

Nyika ine rusununguko. Kupfuura pasi rose. Ngatishandire nyika yedu yeZimbabwe, uye ziva kwawakabva. (Shona)-I hope for a country that is freer than any other part of the world. Let’s work to develop our Zimbabwe and we must remember our roots. – Trymore Dhliwayo

We also want a Zimbabwe where indigenous comapany owners pay their wokers

We want jobs gud educatoin and a gud leader lyk Morgan Tsvangirai. – Albert Chytsa, Director at Barker Transport

Peacefull with eguitable distribution of resources and job opportunities so our people are not exiled

I need a ZIM Which respects pple’s rights. – Ray, Mutare.

A Zimbabwe where Education is for Application not bragging of a high literacy rate when no creativity or economic gain is realised. – Ronald Mapamulaâ„¢ @ronaldmapamula

Democracy (rule by many) first and all else will follow. Don’t mourn, take a stand. – Makusha Mugabe @Czeditor

Peaceful and corruption free. – Barbara Reid, Matron housekeeper at working for girls college trust

Church structures need financial support; transport for conference, crusades, revivals is needed. Finance for projects as to help ophans, widows, school going pupils.

“Zimbabwe ngaipe vanhu mabasa pamwechete nekupa vanhu masalary arinani magraduates macertificate akuworera kumadziro emba…takudawo zimdollar”. “Zimbabwe should give people jobs and give workers better salaries. There are a lot of graduates whose certificates are rotting, they are not being used.. We now want the Zim dollar.” – Gamuchirai

“In Zimbabwe, you do not allow us to express our feelings and thoughts.” – Andrew Takunda

The Zim is a teaching place. All countries learn from it.

I want zimbabwe that represent everyone, a zim with good leadership, a God fearing nation. At the present moment our leaders are satanic.

Puppet-free!Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans!! – Doris Marutta

Let’s agree that we have different views but we can still leave together without victimising one another. – Robbie Takapira