The Zimbabwean

10 January 2012

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe joins the Tonga speaking people in celebrating the official recognition of their mother tongue- Tonga through its public testing at Grade 7 level by the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture in 2011. At the same time, CCJPZ recognises the efforts made by its sister organisation, Silveira House, for initiating advocacy and lobby processes culminating to this success.

Language is a very important tool for communication and the preservation of own culture. The history of any people is passed on through its language and defines the identity, origin and aspirations of its speakers. To deny or look down upon any people’s language is a denial of their right to identity and existence. As said by one traditional leader ‘a people without a language are like a tree without roots’. The Tonga language, like any other Zimbabwe local languages deserves such recognition as a way of fostering national unity, cohesion and respect for diversity.

The Government of National Unity (GNU) through the Minister of Education, Sports. Arts and Culture, David Coltart should be commended for taking a bold decision to officially recognise the Tonga language through its testing in the 2011 Grade 7 examinations. CCJPZ acknowledge the efforts of Silveira House and other organisations that have contributed to the translation and development of the curriculum and literature for Tonga language. We look forward to official recognition and speedy translation of curricular and learning materials for other minority languages like Shangani, Venda, Nambya, Kalanga and Chewa and their consequent learning and testing even up to degree level.

However, what remains is the recognition of these languages in the new constitution. If the new constitution does not guarantee teaching and testing of these languages in the areas they are spoken, this achievement will go nowhere. CCJPZ recommends explicit clauses in the new constitution that mandates our educational institutions to teach and examine these languages.

NewZimbabwe.com

9 January 2012

The main teachers unions appeared divided over a call to go on strike when schools re-open on Tuesday while education minister, David Coltart warned any job action could cripple the country’s education sector.

Junior teachers currently earn about $253 a month and unions are demanding parity with the country’s poverty line which is estimated at currently pegged at $540 a month for a family of six.

But talks with the government have made little head-way and some of the unions said their members would not report for work on Tuesday.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said his members would not report for work the rival Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) said it would await the outcome of talks scheduled for Wednesday.

“We hope that our colleagues in ZIMTA will realize that the best way forward is industrial action because the language that our government understands is industrial action and that they will be joining us on Wednesday,” Zhou said.

However, ZIMTA President Tendai Chikowore, who also chairs the Apex Council which negotiates with the government on behalf of civil servants, said it would be counterproductive for teachers to go on strike while they are still negotiating with the government.

Meanwhile, education minister David Coltart said there was little his ministry could do to stop the job action since it did not directly employ the teachers.

Teachers are employed by the Public Service Commission.

“I am speaking to the trade unions but not as part of the negotiations team because I do not employ them and do not participate in the tripartite negotiations,” Coltart told a local daily.

Coltart warned that the strike could further damage the country’s education sector which is struggling to recover from the near-collapse experienced in the last decade.

“We have done what we can and everything is on track — exam papers are being marked, dates for opening of schools have been set long ago, secondary school textbooks are being delivered countrywide, but of course all of that will mean little if teachers go on strike,” he said.

Daily News

By Lloyd Mbiba

9 January 2012

Harare - Education minister David Coltart says he cannot stop teachers from joining a looming civil servants’ strike, warning that public schools that open tomorrow face a return to collapse because of government’s failure to pay adequate salaries.

Civil servants, of which close to half are teachers, say they will take “drastic” action if government does not give a firm commitment to raise salaries when the parties meet on Wednesday.

Teachers’ unions have voiced their support for the demand for more pay, leaving government schools to open amid uncertainty.

Reacting to threats of a strike by teachers ahead of schools opening tomorrow, Coltart said he had no power to stop the action since his ministry was not the teachers’ employer.

Teachers, like other civil servants, are employed by the Public Service Commission, which falls under the ministry of Public Service.

The Apex Council, which is the umbrella representation body for civil servants, last week appeared determined to take action if government again refuses to increase salaries.

Tendai Chikowore, leader of the council, said government workers were now fed up with the parent lack of interest in improving their livelihoods. Chikowore is also the president of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association.

The council is agitating for the lowest paid civil servant to receive a salary above the poverty datum line currently pegged at $546.

Coltart, ranked by this paper as one of the best performing ministers for the year 2011, warned the industrial action risked crippling the education sector.

“We have done what we can and everything is on track — exam papers are being marked, dates for opening of schools have been set long ago, secondary school textbooks are being delivered countrywide, but of course all of that will mean little if teachers go on strike. But that is something beyond our control,” he said.

Coltart has managed to turn around the decay in the education sector by implementing effective policies that have seen the sector rising from the ashes.

Zimbabwe’s education sector, once ranked the best in Africa, was in near collapse when Coltart was appointed minister at the formation of the coalition government in February 2009.

A decade-long economic meltdown and political turmoil resulted in most government schools closing down and only opened after the formation of the coalition government.

He introduced teacher’s incentives as a means to generate money to complement the paltry salary which the teachers are getting.

Coltart said he was speaking to the union leaders to try and avert the looming industrial action.

“I am speaking to the trade unions but not as part of the negotiations team because I do not employ them and do not participate in the tripartite negotiations,” he said.

Asked what damage control measure government had put in place if the strike takes place, Coltart said: “It is very difficult to damage control when one does not have teachers – they are critical to a school’s performance.”

The Herald

By Felex Share

9 January 2012

Government has finished working on new education regulations that will ensure compliance with existing procedures in raising fees or levies in schools.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said the regulations would improve the country’s education system.

He said in coming up with the regulations, the ministry was governed by the country’s Education Act.

“The new regulations will be tabled in Cabinet to the committee on legislation when it resumes sitting in a few week’s time.

“We expect them to be enforced once all the necessary procedures are complete and we hope it will be in the shortest possible time,” he said.

Minister Coltart said the new regulations would deal with schools that disrespect Government and court decisions.

“Situations of schools that defy Government directives are rampant and we are tightening the grip on those unruly schools.

“For example, some milk parents by increasing school fees willy-nilly. There are laid down rules by many had a tendency of ignoring those rules,” he said.

Under the Act, a majority of parents at a specially called meeting have to approve any increase in fees or levies and then the minutes of the meeting and list of parents attending has to be sent to the ministry for final approval.

“It is too early to divulge what we will do with such schools but this time anyone caught on the wrong side of the law will regret.”

He said the new regulations would also distinguish between the role of school development committees and school authorities.

There have been many clashes between school heads and SDC members over the control of finances and schools in general.

“This is a more serious problem where some do not know the limits. An SDC should only help in the administering of the school but many tend to overlap and want to take total control of the schools.

“This is unacceptable according to the Education Act as it has contributed to the down fall of the country’s education sector,” he said.

Government, Minister Coltart said, was also working on reviewing the school curriculum so that it suited the country’s social, historical and economical situations.

“It will take long just like the constitution making process but it is our hope that we also move with the technological advancement,” said Minister Coltart.

“Attempts have been made before by due to financial constraints the curriculum review failed to take off.

“But now we have made major economic improvements and we will work hard to improve the country’s education sector.”

Sunday News

8 January 2012

The Minster of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture has said his ministry will make full use of a new law to flush out all corrupt elements in the administration and use of funds meant for education, in an effort to bring normalcy to the sector.

In an interview with the Sunday News on Friday last week, Senator David Coltart said his ministry was not tolerating any corrupt tendencies.

“We need to adopt zero tolerance of abuse of school funds and anyone caught on the wrong side will face the full wrath of the law,” said Senator Coltart.

The Ministry of Education has implemented the Public Finance Management Act (PMFA), which replaces the old Audit and Exchequer Act so as to make school heads and anyone who handles these funds accountable for the finances.

“The PFMA will assist the education sector by bringing about more accountability. It ensures that ministers have more responsibility in ensuring that a ministry’s finances are correctly spent,” said Senator Coltart.

The main effect of the PFMA is that the minister has to be consulted before monies are spent. In the past civil servants had a virtual free hand in deciding how budgeted monies would be spent within the broad parameters of the National Budget.

The minister said school heads were not the only culprits in the abuse of funds as there were corrupt individuals in the highest levels of Government.

“Aside from the fact that this is taxpayers’ money which is being abused we cannot allow our future generations to be taught by those who are themselves corrupt, what sort of example does that set for the future?” he said.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr Stephen Mahere, said the Act is meant to provide for the control of public resources.

“The Act is intended to provide for the control, management, protection and recovery of public resources. The Act also provides for the regulation o f control of public accounts and for matters pertaining to the financial misconduct by public officials,” said Dr Mahere.

He said it is in the interest of public officials, school heads and finance managers included, to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Act.

He also warned those that got away with money and other resources without being noticed in previous years that this was a different year where the ministry will take full account of all resources.

In 2011 alone there were several cases of funds being embezzled by school heads and other officials in the Ministry of Education, compromising education standards.

Incompetent school authorities and school development associations have stalled development in many Government schools.

The minister said the biggest project foe 2012 would be the delivery of 8 million textbooks to all secondary schools countrywide.

“We want to deliver 8 million textbooks to all secondary schools in Zimbabwe and we will also start the rehabilitation of sanitary facilities in schools. I hope that the new education regulations will counter the lawlessness which prevails in many schools,” he said.

He said the curriculum review process will get underway and hopes there will be a transformation of certain schools into academies.

The Standard

By Nunurai Jena

8 January 2012

An increasing number of pupils with hearing problems in Mashonaland West province are not attending school due to lack of resources and the absence of specialist teachers, The Standard has heard.

Parents and guardians of children with hearing impairments said their children have not been going to school because there were no teachers proficient in sign language.

They said those that go to school are usually isolated and discriminated against by their peers. Isabel Chitate of Lion’s Den in Mashonaland West province is both bitter and upset. Her only granddaughter, Charity, cannot proceed with her education due to lack of qualified teachers at Murereka Primary School.

“They accepted her at the school for two terms, but withdrew her because there are no teachers who can teach her,” said Chitate. “They advised me to seek assistance from Jairos Jiri but I could not go there because I don’t have the money.”

Jairos Jiri Association is a philanthropic organisation set up in 1950 to support and train disadvantaged people, including children. Another parent, who only identified herself as Mai Tariro from Gadzema, a high-density suburb in Chinhoyi, said she had also been struggling to find a place for her child with a hearing disability.

She said could not send her child to a special school like Emerald Hill in Harare, because the high fees charged by specialist institutions were beyond her reach.

Fortunately, Sinoia Primary School, which is in the same town, has started a special class for hearing-impaired children and she hopes to enroll Tariro at the institution beginning this term. At first, said Mai Tariro, she was reluctant to have her child exposed to others as she feared stigmatisation.

Mai Tariro said sign language must be taught to all pupils so that affected children can easily communicate with their peers. She appealed to the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture to equip every trainee teacher with the necessary skills to manage and educate hearing-impaired pupils.

Very few teachers choose to speciliase in fields like sign language after graduating from college or university. Mashonaland West Chairperson of the Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped, Tichaona Mlauzi, said there was a growing need for mainstreaming sign language in schools. He said his organisation was lobbying to have sign language recognised as an official language.

It is estimated that 300 pupils have hearing impairments in Mashonaland West province.

‘Ministry fighting to assist disabled pupils’

Education minister David Coltart said his ministry was trying by all means to assist not only pupils with a hearing impairment, but all those with any form of disability. He however, added that such efforts were being curtailed by shortage of funds.

“The situation is dire on the ground,” said Coltart. “As long as we get little funds from government, such children will continue to be affected.”

In a bid to improve accessibility of education to pupils with hearing impairments, the government in 2010 put in place a policy that compels all schools to have a special class for children with disabilities.

• RT @KirstyCoventry: I love the ndebele word for swimming. RT @KikI_iNsAnE: Kirsty its kusambira not kushambira…..in ndebele its ukubhu … #
• Anglican clergy meeting in Zimbabwe stopped by Police on Tuesday. Since when did Christians have to seek permission to pray? Outrageous #
• Funny old life this – last week Kallis had his first pair – this week he scores his first double ton before his adoring home Cape Town crowd #
• Compassion’s comeback http://t.co/Ruy03uoj #
• Hilfenhaus and Siddle's winter playing Zimbabwe A clearly did them no harm – between them they took 13 of India's wickets in thrashing them #
• Off to London to attend World Education Forum and the Apple Summit – I hope can attract more interest in Zimbabwe's education sector #

Radio VOP

7 January 2012

Government colleges and schools who have been warned against increasing tuition fees have ordered students to bring their own groceries when schools open next week.

Earlier this week the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, said there will be no increase in fees structures for all Government schools.

“I am aware that parents have been threatened with fee hikes from all angles but a decision has been made. We therefore expect all schools to abide by that decision as we will deal with those who will choose to go against this,” said Coltart.

Students at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo College who reside on the campus have been told to bring their own groceries to augment the low fees they are paying.

Part of a letter addressed to the students reads, “Those who will reside at the campus should bring 20kg Beef, 4kg salt , four rolls of tissue paper, 20kg mealie meal(pearlenta/ngwerengwere), 10 sachets Royco,” among other items.

However health experts fear that the move to order students to bring fresh products such as beef to college could result in some bringing poisoned food.

“Some of the students at the college travel for two days from their respective homes to get to college and there is likelihood that some of the meat could be stale before it reaches its destination a situation likely to cause serious health problems,” said Themba Ncube a senior nurse at Gwanda Hospital.

Although authorities at Joshua Nkomo Polytechnic refused to speak to Radio VOP a lecturer at the college who requested anonymity said the move to order pupils to bring their own food was necessitated by the low fees being charged at the college.

“The tuition fees are just too low for the upkeep of students for three months and hence when they bring their own food it becomes better,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s education system once a shinning beacon in the African continent has over the years plummeted to lowest levels as the country struggles to recover from a decade long economic turmoil.

Nehanda Radio

By Moses Chamboko

6 January 2012

End of year ministerial appraisals by two independent newspapers made interesting reading. While some ratings sounded correct, others were seemingly way out of sync with general sentiment.

In future, it might be a good idea to consult far and wide before circulating these ratings if they are to be taken seriously. Ostensibly resorting to views of an anonymous “Review Board” smacks of shenanigans.

Subjectivity and inadequacy of process aside, the most outstanding aspect was that younger ministers generally performed way better than their most experienced counterparts.

Of course, spoiling this generalisation was none other than Saviour Kasukuwere who competed with most of career ministers for the bottom position. That this dismal performer belongs to a known party does not come as a surprise at all.

One other observation that came out of the appraisals is that it is probably time to start thinking seriously about merging, phasing out or disbanding some of the ministries. In a country where there is an ICT ministry as well as one for Higher Education, one wonders why we need another full ministry for Science and Technology.

The “T” in ICT actually stands for “Technology” while the science function could be a small department under Higher Education or another ministry. The same applies to the Women’s Affairs ministry. This can easily be a department under the ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare or any other.

That the ministers responsible for these two portfolios which are perfect candidates for a downgrade are said to have performed dismally, may not be a mere coincidence. It appears some ministers don’t even fully understand their mandate.

Consequently, a very good number of them are now part-time ministers with full-time benefits which include luxurious vehicles and multiple farms.

A few who might still be willing to perform may be incapacitated by a lack of political will or unavailability of financial resources. Not because of sanctions or Biti but because of misappropriation, mismanagement and looting, a case in point being Chiadzwa.

Given the prevailing economic climate which is tough by any measure, can somebody please explain what the ministry of Housing and Social Amenities is meant to deliver? Wasn’t this ministry a direct product of the Tsholotsho fiasco, cunningly designed to appease but keep in check the godfather of Dinyane?

In the military, it would be the equivalence of the commissioners’ pool. I would suggest that this be appended as a department to the Local Government ministry, assuming it hasn’t served its purpose. The so-called Review Board either neglected or is unaware of the existence of deputy ministers. Why didn’t we hear anything about these leaders?

Giving the example of only one ministry, one would have been forgiven for thinking that at Justice, Chinamasa was the deputy while visible, energetic and focused Obert Gutu was the full minister.

We only heard of Chinamasa when it was time for the perpetual negotiations or a moment for the SMM saga. Such is the kind of ministers we have!

In parliament, Settlement Chikwinya and Edward Chindori-Chininga were outstanding. These two MPs ensured that the august house was not reduced to a napping room.

Chikwinya reminded us of the good old days of Lazarus Nzarayebani, Sydney Malunga or Hebert Ushewokunze by fearlessly introducing crucial motions such as dismissal of Austin Zvoma as well as reformation of the security sector.

Of course, we did not see a return to the days of the firebrand trio of Eddison Zvobgo, Edgar Tekere and Byron Hove but it was a step in the right direction.

On the other hand, Chindori-Chininga demonstrated that portfolio committees were created for a reason when he presided over the SMM hearings. For this, I’ve no doubt he did not receive a Christmas card nor chocolate fish from Patrick Chinamasa.

While there is no doubt that Henry Madzorera, David Coltart and Walter Mzembi were indeed a cut above the rest, the typically low rating given to Tendai Biti raises some questions.

By clipping Dr. Casino’s long wings, the finance minister brought back some semblance of sanity into the two critical spheres of fiscal and monetary policy management.

It is primarily this bold move coupled with dollarization that became the anchor of economic stabilisation.  From that stabilisation, critical sectors such as health, education and tourism were revived. Tendai Biti’s low rating is malicious or at least misplaced.

Some of you will recall that the Finance Ministry was once run like “a funeral parlour” to use Gushungo’s diction when he chided Murerwa at some forum in Botswana. In less than three years, that has now been turned around. We no longer have a president or central bank governor doubling up as finance minister.

As for Goche, unlike Hebert Ushewokunze who once earned the title “Minister of Air Zimbabwe”, courtesy of Byron Hove, this career minister proved that Air Zimbabwe does not need a minister or should be transferred to a different ministry altogether. If I had my way, I would donate it to Tourism if ICT is too distant.

Now that he has set the bar so high despite his youthfulness, our expectation for 2012 is that Nelson “Supersonic” Chamisa will make common but useful documents such as passport forms downloadable online while internet banking is embraced by all financial institutions including POSB.

Every child who passes through our education system should be able to differentiate between a mouse and a keyboard in addition to having other basic skills such as use of the internet and MS Office.

Zimbabweans should not queue to pay utility bills when this can be done at the click of a mouse or on iPhone. Pay days should not be synonymous with long queues at banks when people can use plastic money for most transactions. This will propel us into the global family of technology.

May those rated the worst performers lift their game in 2012, retire, resign or be relieved of their duties before Easter!  Let Zimbabwe move forward.

ZimEye

5 January 2012

Education and Sport Minister David Coltart, said that he is now working with other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance on modalities of paying a rural allowance.

“The matter has been discussed in Cabinet and all the colleagues (ministers) were sympathetic with the rural teachers,” Minister Coltart said.

“We agreed that Government should deal with the imbalances existing between urban and rural teachers and the solution lies in a rural allowance for the educators.

“Everyone understands the financial constraints facing the Finance Minister (Tendai Biti) but solutions have to be found to the problems affecting the education sector as it is the backbone of every developing nation.”

Minister Coltart said teachers’ incentives will stay in the first term, which begins on Tuesday, while ways to improve civil servants’ conditions of service were being sought.

He said the state of the economy made it difficult for the Government to increase salaries for teachers.

“Nothing has changed economically and it is common knowledge that incentives have a discriminatory effect, but salaries have to be improved first,” he said.

“The picture coming from Treasury shows that there won’t be any reasonable salary increments for the workers hence the decision to keep incentives and advocate rural allowances.”

Minister Coltart expressed hope that Government will review the salaries upwards and scrap incentives.

Government, teachers unions and other stakeholders agreed during last year’s all-stakeholders’ conference that incentives must be scrapped this year.
This was in anticipation of a salary hike in 2012 National Budget.

But, Minister Biti only managed to move the tax-free threshold by US$25 from US$225, but did not provide for a salary increment.

A series of meetings by stakeholders in the education sector were held last year over incentives after teachers at some schools went on strike.

It was generally agreed that incentives had caused chaos in the education sector.

A Victoria High School headmaster was last year assaulted by parents and pupils over incentives, while disturbances took place at some schools over the administration of the money.