Sunday News

9 March 2013

THE Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) is facing serious financial problems as Treasury has been reneging on paying for grade 7 examinations for the past three years forcing Zimsec to fund the examination and bleed its coffers in the process.

The precarious financial position has culminated in the failure by Zimsec to produce certificates in time, amid revelations that some companies and higher learning institutions in and outside the country were refusing to accept result slips for O and A-levels thereby disadvantaging many people who would have sat and passed their examinations.

In response to questions by the Sunday News, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said the major challenges the education system was facing was the under-funding of operations within Zimsec and the delay in approving examination fees by Cabinet.

He said Zimsec was still awaiting the disbursement of the outstanding US$1,5 million for 2012 Grade 7 examinations whose results have long been released, adding that the country’s examination body was facing a financial crisis through no fault of its own. He highlighted though that Zimsec was expecting to receive the June and November 2011 certificates before the end of this term.

“The major challenge that the education system is facing from our perspective is the under-funding of operations within Zimsec. Government undertook to provide a grant to pay for Grade 7 examinations but Treasury has not released the full allocation for the last three years. Zimsec develops its budget and cost build-up on the basis of these promises but is left in the lurch when the grant does not materialise.

“Council is then forced to borrow money from other lines of expenditure to finance the Grade 7 examination to the detriment of these equally important exercises — capital projects and operations in general.

Minister Coltart said the prompt production of certificates was hampered by lack of foreign currency in years prior to the use of the United States dollar and clearing that backlog was made difficult by inadequate funding.

He said Zimsec had to use funds for current years to finance the purchase of 2007, 2008 and 2009 certificates.

In addition, he said, the certificates needed to have advanced security features embedded on them to thwart counterfeiters.

“The two-cycle examination sessions for O and A-level every year further exacerbated the printing and production of certificates, once the initial schedule is violated as happened during the difficult years of 2007, 2008 and 2009.  Catching up with the production of outstanding certificates requires additional financial resources which, unfortunately, have not been available to Zimsec in the recent past and current situation,’’ he said.

He implored Zimsec stakeholders to bear with it as it grapples with addressing the issue of outstanding certificates saying so far, the certificates for both June and November 2010 and prior years had been released to examination centres. He said Zimsec expected to receive the June and November 2011 certificates before the end of this term, adding that when the 2011 certificates were delivered and the funding was available, Zimsec would order certificates for the June 2012 examinations.

“With respect to funding, it is pertinent to note that Zimsec has used part of the 2012 Ordinary and Advanced Level funds to finance the 2012 Grade 7 examinations and is now awaiting the re-imbursement of this money from Treasury. Zimsec hopes to be abreast with the standard practice of producing certificates within 90 days of the release of results with the November 2012 results,’’ said Minister Coltart.

He said examination fees should always be approved towards the end of the year preceding the year they become due for collection.

This arrangement, he said, was made possible in 2011 for 2012 but unfortunately, was not repeated in 2012 for 2013 making planning extremely difficult.

The Sunday News

By Lulu Brenda Harris

9 March 2013

GOVERNMENT is extremely worried and alarmed by the intensifying “satanic’’ incidents taking place across the country’s schools and has opened urgent inquiry into these reports, warning whoever would be found perpetrating such acts in school premises would be thoroughly disciplined.

This past week has been rocked by reports from schools across the country — Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland East and Harare.

Schoolchildren have been fainting mysteriously, breaking into fits of hysteria while one schoolgirl woke up with her throat slashed and the latest incident saw some children growing fur and developing “vampire’’ teeth.

In an interview with Sunday News, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart described these incidents as shocking and said his ministry was highly intolerant of such dreadful acts and was already jumping on the cases.

Sen Coltart said he learnt about such acts from the media and tasked the permanent secretary to urgently open an inquiry and investigate what was happening with immediate effect before it spread affecting all schools.

“I immediately contacted the permanent secretary in my ministry to investigate this issue without delay. As a ministry we learnt about this from the Press and we have to verify exactly what is going on,’’ he said.

The minister said the ministry did not take the satanism acts lightly, as they were affecting schoolchildren, scaring them in the process, consequently compromising education and security in the schools.

“Schools are a second home to the children. We are alarmed. It is disturbing, these are children,’’ he said.

Sen Coltart warned that whoever would be fingered or proven to have had a hand in such acts would be dealt with and disciplined because whatever the case this was causing pandemonium.

“Let me say this and repeat any elements promoting this type of acts would be disciplined.’’

The minister added that it was unfortunate the ministry or provincial education offices learnt about this from the media and it was difficult for officials to act as they had to establish first by themselves what actually took place before commenting because if they did without full facts, it would be premature.

Minister Coltart also said that the ministry had not made any consultations with religious groups because it still had to probe the incidents.

“That’s why we are opening a thorough investigation.  It all comes down to investigating the problem and see what we can do,’’ he said.

Parents are encouraged to seek an audience with the district education officers, who will then guide them to take the proper channel until the matter reaches the government, minister Coltart said.

He added that his ministry had an open door policy and was willing to work with parents to come up with a solution and stop “these unacceptable acts’’.

“Absolutely, parents can inform us about anything that might help. Let me emphasise the ministry does not tolerate any of this. It is totally against it,’’ he stressed.

In rural Hwange, 27 village heads reportedly petitioned the district education officer to remove the headmaster of Neshigwe Secondary school as he was suspected to be involved in satanic acts.

This was after a series of incidents in which girls went into a trance while others claimed to had seen an apparition of a senior member of staff clad in black garments and holding a bottle filed with blood.

In Bulawayo at Entumbane High, parents called an emergency meeting with residents after a number of pupils, mostly Forms 2 and 3 mysteriously collapsed during lessons.

It is reported that 80 students fainted while 100 others screamed hysterically.

A team was setup comprising residents, leaders, the school development committee and a local councillor to look into the issue.

At Nhowe Mission in Mashonaland East, a Form Three pupil was withdrawn from the school by her parents after her throat was mysteriously slashed and several of her dorm mates woke up in blood-stained blankets.

Mashonaland East Education director, Mr Sylvester Machaka, confirmed receiving a report from the school and said they had since set up a team to urgently look into the matter before it affected the whole school.

At Hartcliff 1 Primary school, Harare a teacher allegedly gave two pupils wristbands believed to be linked to satanism.

One pupil is said to have developed vampire teeth while the other grew fur on the skin.

The teacher was taken by the police while parents swarmed the school baying for his blood.

Last year, in Mufakose at Yamunarayi Primary School a class was tormented by invisible images believed to be linked to satanism.

In Lupane at Tshebetshebe Primary, the school was reportedly closed after teachers were tormented by goblins and deserted it.

At that time the ministry said it would not act until it received authentic reports from the parties involved or education officials.

The Herald

9 March 2013

THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council has set the deadline for the registration of June and November Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations. In a statement, Zimsec director Mr Esau Nhandara said the examination body had set March 22 as the closing date for registration for those wishing to write in June while registration period for those writing in November will end on May 10. The dates are for both O-Level and A-Level.

“The closing date for payments and submission of entry forms for June examinations is 22 March 2013 and for November is 10 May 2013,” said Mr Nhandara. He said examination fees remained unchanged from last year as the Government continues to subsidise the fees.

“Although candidates are paying US$12 for O- Level (per subject) and US$24 for A-Level, the Government approved US$13 for O-Level and US$26 for A-Level. Therefore, the Government is paying the US$1 and US$2 shortfalls for the O- and A-Level fees respectively,” said Mr Nhandara. The fees are the same for both formal school and private candidates.

Only selected subjects such as English and Communication Skills, a compulsory subject at A-Level, have different fee structures, as candidates will pay US$22 while those doing practical subjects are expected to pay an additional US$17.

Foreign candidates writing Zimsec examinations pay US$35 for O-Level and US$53 for A-Level per subject. Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said Cabinet had agreed to ensure examination fees remained unchanged.

“Cabinet made the decision that there will be no increase on examination fees this year and Treasury would pay an extra US$1 and US$2 for each subject and candidate at O-Level and A-Level,” he said. A snap survey carried out by Chronicle around Bulawayo schools showed that the registration exercise was already in progress.

Last year’s deadline was 11 May for both O- and A-Level examinations registration.

The Chronicle

By Ricky Zililo

7 March 2013

THE first delegation of the Springboks Legends to play Zimbabwe Legends in a rugby match meant to celebrate Hartsfield Stadium’s 75 years of existence arrived in the country yesterday. Gweru-born Gary Teichmann and Adriaan Garvey, who will feature for the Springboks Legends, arrived early to sort things out for other ex-South African rugby players who are expected to touch down at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport this morning.

Sean Robinson, a member of the Matabeleland Rugby Football Board that is organising the Hartsfield Stadium Diamond Celebrations which will be screened on pay-per-view television Supersport, said all was set for the festival.

“Everything is set for the celebrations and the leading delegation is already in the country. Nine guys are coming by plane arriving at 12 noon with 14 more touching down on two private planes from Johannesburg and Durban.  Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, David Coltart will welcome our South African visitors at the airport,” said Robinson.

Soon after touching down, the Springboks Legends will get down to business and head to Bulawayo Country Club where they will play golf with first tee-off at 1pm.

In the evening, they will attend a fundraising dinner and tomorrow morning the Springboks Legends will conduct a coaching clinic for rugby playing schools at Hartsfield Stadium.

Robinson said funds raised from their fundraising activities would be channeled towards Hartsfield’s upkeep.

“The money we are going to raise will go towards Hartsfield Stadium maintenance. We want it to maintain its top class status and we hope the rugby enthusiasts will come in their numbers for these celebrations.

“What we want is to maintain the Hartsfield legacy,” said Robinson.

The legends match is only for players above 33 years old and they will play 30-minute halves.

Sables coach Brendan Dawson is expected to lead the Zimbabwe Legends A which will have Andre Cotse, Adam York, Chris Rogers, Denver Methembe, Emmanuel Manyoro, Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise coach Heath Streak and Neil Nesbitt.

Ruben Kumpasa, Rusty Hatton, Robinson, Slater Ndlovu, Tapiwa Mangezi and Victor Olonga, are some of the players expected to represent Zimbabwe at the celebrations.

Des Van Jaarsveld, the oldest surviving former captain of the Springboks at 83 years, will lead the South Africans. He will kick the first ball to start the encounter.

Other players in the Springbok team include Teichmann, Bulawayo-born Ian McIntosh who is a former Springbok coach and now South African rugby selector, Pieter Muller who played 33 tests for the Springboks and Carlos Spencer who played 30 games for New Zealand’s All Blacks.

News Day 

By Daniel Nhakaniso

6 March 2013

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) yesterday released the schedule for the upcoming Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe in April which will see Queens Sports Club hosting international matches for the first time in almost a year.

The multi-purpose cricket stadium in Bulawayo has been allocated two Twenty20s (T20s)and three one-day-internationals (ODIs) from April 13-21, but misses out on the two Test matches which will both be held at Harare Sports Club in the capital.

Last year’s only home assignment, the unofficial triangular series which included South Africa and Bangladesh saw all matches being hosted in the capital, a development that drew the ire of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart.

Coltart bemoaned the lack of use of the venue for international matches by ZC.

“It’s been over a year now since we have had international cricket at this venue and it’s a shame. I have issued a directive to Zimbabwe Cricket to ensure that all international matches that will be played be spread nationwide.” Coltart said at the ZC franchise Matabeleland Tuskers/Lobels Partnership launch last December.

It was the second time Coltart had made that call after he wrote a letter to the Sport and Recreation Commission in June last year directing the sports body to have international games in all sporting disciplines spread throughout the country where there were suitable venues.

The return of international cricket at Queens should be a welcome development for cricket fans in Bulawayo.

ZC seems to have heeded that call as yesterday they released the schedule for the upcoming tour by Bangladesh.

“The city of Bulawayo will host the Twenty20 and one-day-international games that Zimbabwe will play against Bangladesh in April this year,” Shingai Rhuhwaya, ZC general manager, media and public affairs officer, said in a statement.

“Bangladesh arrive in Zimbabwe on the 9th of April for a series in which they will play two T20s, three ODIs and two Test matches against the Zimbabwean national cricket team.

“The two Tests will be played at Harare Sports Club while Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo will play host for the two shorter versions of the game,” she said.

The national team is currently in the West Indies where they have already been whitewashed in the ODI nd T20 series, heading into two Tests next week where another hiding is looming.

The first Test is at the Kensington Oval in Barbados starting next Tuesday before the second at Windsor Park in Dominica, starting March 20.

The Herald

6 March 2013

THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council has set the deadline for the registration of June and November Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations. In a statement, Zimsec director Mr Esau Nhandara said the examination body had set 22 March as the closing date for registration for those wishing to write in June while registration period for those writing in November will end on 10 May.

The dates are for both O Level and A Level.

“The closing date for payments and submission of entry forms for June examinations is 22 March, 2013 and for November is 10 May, 2013,” said Mr Nhandara.

He said examination fees remained unchanged from last year as the Government continues to subsidise the fees.

“Although candidates are paying $12 for O Level (per subject) and $24 for A Level, the Government approved $13 for O Level and $26 for A Level.

“Therefore the Government is paying the $1 and $2 shortfalls for the O and A Level fees respectively,” said Mr Nhandara.

The fees are the same for both school and private candidates.
Only selected subjects such as English and Communication Skills, a compulsory subject at A Level have different fee structures, as candidates will pay $22 while those doing practical subjects are expected to pay an additional $17.

Foreign candidates writing Zimsec examinations pay $35 for O Level and $53 for A Level per subject. Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said Cabinet had agreed to ensure examination fees remained unchanged.

“Cabinet made the decision that there will be no increase on examination fees this year and Treasury would pay an extra $1 and $2 for each subject and candidate at O Level and A Level,” he said.

A snap survey by our Bulawayo bureau around Bulawayo schools showed that the registration exercise was already in progress.
Last year’s deadline was 11 May for both O and A Level examinations registration.

The Chronicle

By Nokuthaba Mathema

5 March 2013

THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has set the deadline for the registration of June and November Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations.

In a statement, Zimsec director Mr Esau Nhandara, said the examination body had set 22 March as the closing date for registration for those wishing to write in June while registration period for those writing in November will end on 10 May.

The dates are for both O-Level and A-Level.

“The closing date for payments and submission of entry forms for June examinations is 22 March 2013 and for November is 10 May 2013,” said Mr Nhandara.

He said examination fees remained unchanged from last year as the Government continues to subsidise the fees.

“Although candidates are paying $12 for O- Level (per subject) and $24 for A-Level, the Government approved $13 for O-Level and $26 for A-Level. Therefore, the Government is paying the $1 and $2 shortfalls for the O- and A-Level fees respectively,” said Mr Nhandara.

The fees are the same for both school and private candidates.

Only selected subjects such as English and Communication Skills, a compulsory subject at A-Level, have different fee structures, as candidates will pay $22 while those doing practical subjects are expected to pay an additional $17.

Foreign candidates writing Zimsec examinations pay $35 for O-Level and $53 for A-Level per subject.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said Cabinet had agreed to ensure examination fees remained unchanged.

“Cabinet made the decision that there will be no increase on examination fees this year and Treasury would pay an extra $1 and $2 for each subject and candidate at O-Level and A-Level,” he said.

A snap survey carried by Chronicle around Bulawayo schools showed that the registration exercise was already in progress.

Last year’s deadline was 11 May for both O- and A-Level examinations registration.

The Chronicle

4 March 2013

Teachers have over the years constituted the bulk of manpower participating in national events such as referendum, elections and the national census exercise. The simple logic being that teachers are of average literacy given that most of them have at least a diploma in education.  Teachers by the nature of their jobs can easily grasp new concepts hence it is easier to train them. Many of them have in fact participated in these national events over the years so training them is just a formality. The nation and the teachers themselves should have been taken aback to learn that their own Minister, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart was against their participation in the forthcoming referendum scheduled for 16 March.  Minister Coltart argued that the involvement of teachers in the referendum will disrupt the learning process. He said teachers should therefore not be used as polling agents to avoid disrupting the learning process. Minister Coltart said teachers will be required to undergo training and this meant lost learning time for the children. He said in the event of  the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) insisting on involving the teachers, it will be better to release untrained teachers.

We do not understand the reasoning behind releasing temporary teachers because their pupils will be equally affected by lost learning time. Pupils being taught by temporary teachers are already disadvantaged given the fact that their teachers have limited skills so these are the pupils whose learning should not be disrupted.

The teachers’ unions have accused Mr Coltart of deliberately seeking to deny them the extra dollar by barring them from participating in national events such as the referendum. The unions argue that over the years teachers have made up for lost time. They said the ministry should leave it up to individual teachers to decide whether or not to participate in national events such as the referendum. We do appreciate that learning time is lost when teachers participate in national events such as referendum or elections but as the teachers unions have said, teachers have always made up for the lost time and the same should continue to happen.

Minister Coltart by barring teachers from participating in national events is not just denying teachers extra income but is attempting to disrupt the holding of these national events given the fact that the bulk of the manpower for these events has over the years been drawn from the education sector. Minister Coltart, we want to believe, is genuinely concerned about the disruption of the learning process and not just politicking or seeking unnecessary attention through uninformed utterances. What the Minister should do if he is genuinely concerned about the disruption of the learning process, is to ensure school authorities come up with measures to make  up for the lost time as opposed to demoralising teachers by denying them extra income.

The morale of teachers like the  rest of civil servants is at its lowest ebb due to poor salaries and Minister Coltart is not helping the situation by denying them opportunities to earn extra income. It is a fact that many teachers have remained at government schools because of  the incentives paid by parents. Participating in national events like the referendum or elections should therefore remain an incentive for teachers.

Minister Coltart has over the years defended the payment of incentives to teachers because he appreciates that their salaries are low. The fact  that Minister Coltart has not communicated his ministry’s position to ZEC means his were just proposals which should be rejected for want of reason.

Senator Coltart states that incentives were provided in order to keep teachers in the classroom, whereas teachers assisting in the referendum may be forced to leave the classroom in order to complete their duties.

Please note, this article was published after Senator Coltart made the following statement regarding the involvement of teachers in the referendum: 

STATEMENT REGARDING THE RELEASE OF TEACHERS FOR THE REFERENDUM

Regrettably the Herald has distorted the Ministry of Education’s policy and what I said regarding deployment of teachers during the referendum by publishing a wholly misleading headline today. At no time did either I or any member of my staff state that there would be a total ban on teachers participating in the Referendum. What we have said is that there should be minimal dispruption of the education sector and to that extent qualified teachers should only be used as a last resort to ensure that as many of them as possible remain as long as possible at their posts in their classrooms.

In a letter released by Permanent Secretary Mrs Constance Chigwamba on the 25th February 2013 our policy position is stated clearly and I quote:

“MOESAC will only be able to release members for the referendum to meet the requirements of ZEC at provincial and District levels. It is important that Education service delivery is not compromised and as such a staggered approach to the release of education personnel should be adopted to minimise impact on teaching and learning. In this regard releases should start with non teaching staff ending with teaching staff for the voting process. In the interest of service delivery the Ministry should be operational during the period under consideration. This implies that there should be minimal disruption to lessons.”

We cannot afford the remainder of the term being disrupted with thousands of qualified teachers leaving their posts to be trained. The recently released O level results are a reminder that the education sector remains in crisis and children’s education remains under threat. Accordingly it is in our national interest not to disturb their education any more as far as possible.

We recognise that it may be inevitable that some teachers will have to be utilised but our plea is that civil servants be drawn from other Ministries first, that we utilise non teaching staff from MOSEAC second, that we utilise unqualified teaching staff third, and that we only draw down on qualified teaching staff as a last resort.

The Sunday Mail

3 March 2013

At least 85 percent of trained teachers are shunning the profession after graduating, citing poor pay and working conditions, a Cabinet minister has said.

In an interview last week, Education, Arts, Sport and Culture Minister David Coltart told The Sunday Mail that under the block-release programme an average of 6 000 teachers graduate every year, but less than 1 000 are taking up teaching posts. “Out of about 6 000 teachers which are channeled out by our teacher training colleges throughout the country, only about 1 000 are taking up these posts,” he said.

Minister Coltart said most of the graduates chose to pursue other professions while some are staying at home.
He said the situation has resulted in the Government recruiting unqualified teachers to fill the vacant posts. The unqualified teachers are accused of compromising the country’s education standards.

Minister Coltart said the Government was battling to attract qualified teachers. “As Government we are battling to attract trained teachers, as long as we continue to pay lip service to our education sector these problems will remain with us,” he said.

 Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe said teachers’ salaries are pathetic and Government needed to intervene as a matter of urgency.

“How do you motivate a teacher or attract a prospective one by adding US$32 to one’s salary? Most of our young men and women are taking teaching as the last option,” he said.

The Sunday Mail

By Itai Mazire

3 March 2013

The Government will soon retrain more than 100 000 school teachers to align their skills with a proposed new curriculum that seeks to balance academic subjects and vocational skills training.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart told The Sunday Mail last week that his ministry and that of Higher and Tertiary Education are already working to implement the massive teacher retraining programme. He said authorities took the decision after a string of poor public examination pass rates made it necessary for Zimbabwe to also incorporate vocational subjects.

He said about 109 000 tutors were trained under the present curriculum, which is largely biased towards academics.
“Through our preliminary consultations, we observed that the crop of teachers we have needs to be re-trained and also those who are currently at teacher training institutions need to undergo the same process,” he said.

“You will note that after we introduce a new education curriculum in about two years’ time, there is going to be a different syllabus, hence, the need for us to speed up a massive re-training programme.”

Senator Coltart said stakeholders will meet to deliberate on the proposed new education curriculum.

He said a five-member team of experts was already working around the framework of the refined document. “An all stakeholder workshop is already in the pipeline. This will assist us to complete a new curriculum due to our scheduled time-frame.This will also be in line with the Nziramasanga Commission.”

Last month, the Government revealed plans to review the curriculum following strong indications that the country’s education system does not make provision for increased vocational skills training.

The proposed review is in line with  recommendations that were made  by the Nziramasanga Commission set up by Government  in 1999 to evaluate local education strengths and deficiencies. The commission observed that the national curriculum was inclined towards academics and recommended the introduction of vocational skills training in secondary schools.