Daily News

By Margaret Chinowaita

1 December 2011

Harare - Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart on Tuesday presented $10 000 each to four artists who took part in the 54th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

Coltart said the renowned artists; Tapfuma Gutsa, Calvin Dondo, Berry Bickle and Misheck Masamvu were able to showcase what Zimbabweans are capable of.

“We have limited resources to market artists. We appreciate their contributions and we are delighted to offer them $10 000 each as a token of appreciation to express the gratitude of the people of Zimbabwe.”

He said the artists aided government’s bid to market the country:  “These artists were able to market the country. It could have cost more to market Zimbabwe on CNN than it did with these artists so from our perspective it was a good deal.”

The minister hoped the gesture would encourage and inspire other artists to be creative in the future.

He however, said art was not really appreciated in the country and he is working to convince his colleagues in Cabinet.

“The Cabinet do not fully understand the impact of the exhibition at Venice Biennale. However, it was successful, we received 30 000 visitors on our pavilion and rare reviews.”

Deputy chairman of the National Art Gallery board Hosea Mapondera said this was a major development in the history of art.

“It is very big in the history of art in Zimbabwe. It is a milestone, pity that a lot of people did not turn up to witness this gesture of appreciation. However, artists deserve more support than we are giving them in terms of financial and material.”

Mapondera said government was trying to support but there was room for improvement.

Only Dondo and Gutsa were present at the presentation with Bickle and Masamvu out of the country.

“I would like to thank the minister with his gesture of appreciation. I hope it will inspire other artists. We are old but the beautiful ones are not yet born. They have paved way for opportunities,” said Dondo.

However, in an interview after the presentation, Gutsa said he welcomed the token of appreciation but felt it was too little.

“We got too little. Munyaradzi Chidzonga was given a lot and we are being paid ‘damages’. Zimbabwe needs to take artists seriously.”

Doreen Sibanda, director of the National Art Gallery was quoted earlier saying: “Participation in Venice was an expensive exercise, it required money for pavilion rental, work freighting, travel and upkeep, publications, invigilators and so on.

“We were able to raise $300 000 which included cash and kind, of which $100 000 was from our government. We were fortunate to garner sponsorship from British Council in Zimbabwe, the European Union, Institut Francaise, Museum of Monaco, and Principality of Monaco in addition to the Zimbabwean government.”

“We are very appreciative of these partners and do hope they are fully satisfied with the outcome.”

The exhibition of the artists’ work was curated by the National Art Gallery curator Raphael Chikukwa under the theme, “Seeing Ourselves: questioning our geographical landscape and space we occupy from yesterday, today and tomorrow”.

Chikukwa said the artists were powerful and their works were phenomenal leaving a mark at the Venice Biennale known as the Olympics of the art.

Chikukwa used his vast international network to secure Zimbabwe’s ticket to the Venice Biennale.

The curator hopes to take Zimbabwe to the next international art event in the coming years.

New Zimbabwe

30 November 2011

Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has been named Cricketer of the Year at the annual CBZ Bank Zimbabwe Cricket Awards 2011.

Taylor, named captain in June, also scooped the Croco Motors Batsman of the Year award, while Keegan Meth was named the South African Airways Bowler of the Year.

Taylor played three Test matches in the 2010/11 season, scoring 358 runs at an average of 71.6 runs with his highest score being 117 in the Test match against New Zealand at Queens Sports Club, making that his second century for the season.

His highest score in ODIs was an unbeaten 145 against South Africa in 2010. From the 27 ODI matches he has played, Taylor scored a total of 1096 runs – including four centuries – at an average of 45.66.

Brian Vitori was rewarded for his explosive entrance into top flight cricket with two awards on the night. He was named Tour Africa Rookie of the Year and Interfin Bank Most Promising Cricketer of the Year.

Vitori made his international cricket debut in August 2011 in Zimbabwe’s return match to Test cricket against Bangladesh in Harare. In just two Test matches, he claimed five wickets at an average of 48 runs – with a personal best of four wickets for 66 runs in the match.

He took two consecutive five wicket hauls from his debut ODI matches against Bangladesh, helping Zimbabwe win both matches and ultimately the series 3-2.

Matabeleland Tuskers were the most decorated franchise of the year after being named Castle Franchise Team of the Year and the Best Administered Franchise.

They were also officially presented with the Castle Logan Cup title and had two of their team members winning awards as well. Team coach Dave Houghton was named the Afdis Coach of the Year while, and Meth Bowler of the Year.

Sports Minister David Coltart officiated at the awards, while the United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray was guest of honour.

Newsday

By Daniel Nhakaniso

29 November 2011

National cricket team captain Brendan Taylor — who walked away with two awards at the annual CBZ Cricket Awards on monday night — dedicated the accolades to his teammates.

The high-scoring Taylor shone during the year under review with outstanding performances since taking over the captaincy from Elton Chigumbura.

He was deservedly named the country’s cricketer and batsman of the year.

“It was a great honour to receive the two awards. It’s nice to be recognised, but I think the awards are a reflection on how well the team has done this year.

“Everything I managed to accomplish would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the support from my teammates.

“The whole team put in a fantastic effort. From here we can only keep improving. We beat New Zealand on the ODIs (one-day-internationals) and we were almost within the touching distance of a victory in Test match. I believe when we tour there next year we will be capable of beating them,” said Taylor.

Zimbabwe is scheduled to tour New Zealand in January where Taylor would lead Zimbabwe’s quest for glory against their more fancied opponents.

Taylor was the stand-out player in Zimbabwe’s triumphant return to Test cricket, scoring a magnificent century on his debut as captain during the win against Bangladesh.

He scored two hundreds in three Tests this year and also became the first Zimbabwean to score back-to-back ODI centuries — against New Zealand in September.

The New Zealand tour was particularly the best for him where he scored two centuries in the three- match ODI series to end on 310, the highest by any batsman in a three-match series.

This season he has averaged 49,53 in 17 ODIs so far and his performances earned him a contract with Wellington to play in New Zealand’s HRV Cup.

Taylor took Zimbabwe Cricket’s top prize ahead of fellow short-list nominees Vusi Sibanda and Malcolm Waller.

The glittering ceremony was attended by various stakeholders in local cricket including the of Education Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart guest of honour American Ambassador Charles Ray, who delivered a motivational speech and Zimbabwe Cricket president Peter Chingoka.

Zimbabwe Cricket sponsors Croco Motors, South African Airways, Interfin Bank, Coca-Cola, Castle Lager and Afdis were also represented.

SW Radio Africa

By Alex Bell

29 November 2011

The education sector is witnessing growing anger from both parents of school learners and Zimbabwe’s teachers, because of rising school fees and stagnant salaries.

Some parents have expressed their anger to the media about proposed fee increases, which could be as high as 25%. Reports have said that state schools want to boost fees for day students from US$160 to US$180, and increase boarding fees to US$585 from US$560 a term.

SW Radio Africa has been told that some private school boarding fees are set to rise to about US$13000 for the year. The situation is so serious and the fees so high that many parents are said to be leaving for South Africa, where good government schools are still available.

Education Minister David Coltart said on Tuesday that the fee hikes are unavoidable, because the sector has been underfunded for more than a decade. He added that it is the government’s fault for not playing its part in ensuring the sector improves.

“This year we were allocated about US$60 million for education but we only saw about US$14 million of that to run all the schools. This is woefully insufficient and we’ve had to turn to parents and this means a fee hike,” Coltart explained.

He added that he hopes to make the process of fee increases as transparent as possible, saying nothing is yet set in stone. He said that “even when the fees are set, I plan to make the accounts for each school available on the bulletin boards every month so parents can see where their money is going.”

Finance Minister Tendai Biti last week announced more than US$700 million set aside for education in the national US$4 billion Budget. Coltart welcomed this commitment, but he was also cautious.

“The challenge is to turn this theoretical budget into a reality,” he said.

SW Radio Africa meanwhile has also been told that private school gardeners are earning more than government school teachers, who are still only earning about US$180 a month. PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou told SW Radio Africa that state teachers are earning “starvation wages.”

“It is unfortunate that the national budget didn’t make any room for salary increases because teachers are now condemned to perpetual poverty,” Zhou said.

Biti has previously admitted there is little money for salary increments, and made no direct reference to a much needed increase during his Budget speech last week. Instead, he adjusted the tax requirements so civil servants won’t be paying such high tax. Their ‘allowances’ have also been declared tax free as on January 1st.

Biti is already facing resistance to his 2012 Budget from within Cabinet, with MPs reportedly holding back approval of the proposals, until he gives in to their demands for new cars and outstanding allowances. Legislators from ZANU PF and the MDC-T have told the Daily News they would not give their approval until their ‘needs’ are met.

VOA

By Gibbs Dube

28 November 2011

Education Minister David Coltart said parents and school development associations usually agree on fee rises before submitting them to the government for approval.

A number of Zimbabwean state-run and private primary and secondary schools have asked the Ministry of Education for permission to increase tuition fees and levies next year by 40 percent or more, alarming financially strapped parents.

Sources said state schools want to boost fees for day students from US$160 to US$180, and increase boarding fees to US$585 from US$560 a term.

Some private schools have applied to raise boarding fees by US$25 to US$395.

Many parents say they cannot afford these higher school fees.

Education Minister David Coltart said parents and school development associations usually agree on fee rises before submitting them to the government for approval.

“The permanent secretary is empowered to increase fees and levies and if he decides not to approve them an appeal is made to our ministry and it is only at that stage that I get involved in such issues,” Coltart said.

Bulawayo housewife Mercy Sibanda said most parents cannot afford any increases in school fees as they are struggling to make ends meet.

“Any increases will force us to withdraw our son from boarding school where we are currently paying US$370 a term,” Sibanda said.

Angry Harare parent Friday Tendai told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that parents should unite to refuse to pay new fees until the government and business have raised wages for civil servants and general workers.

Ambrose Sibindi, former chairman of the Cyrene Mission Development Committee, said such large fee increases are unjustifiable as Zimbabwe now uses multiple currencies that are more stable than the Zimbabwean dollar used to be.

The Herald

By Wenceslaus Murape 

28 November 2011 

Schools have been warned against inviting unlimited prospective pupils for Form One entrance tests to compete for very  few places.

This follows complaints from parents who are accusing boarding schools of using entrance tests for fundraising.

Some schools are reportedly charging up to US$55 per pupil, up from US$20 which was standard in August when entrance tests began.

The scramble for form one places at boarding schools has intensified as the year comes to an end and most parents are seeking to have secured vacancies by December.

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Senator David Coltart issued the warning yesterday.

“Some unscrupulous schools are cashing in on desperate parents by inviting hundreds of pupils for interviews against limited places available.

“I’m not against the payment of interview fees, but the system should not be abused.

“Why does a school have to call 2 000 pupils for interviews yet they only have space for just 100? The schools should have some sort of refund policy,” said Sen Coltart.

He said while schools were justified in charging fees to cover administrative costs, the charges should be fair.

Some schools are reportedly charging an extra US$5 for a pupil to obtain the entrance form.

Ms Chipo Bewu of Harare said the practice “had created education imperialists some of whom hide behind religious courts.”

“They are ripping off parents and capitalising on the poor and the laxity of the system, something that we never experienced even during the early days of independence,” said Ms Bewu.

She said education was becoming a privilege and not a right to most poor children. This worked against the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Another Harare parent who refused to be identified said some members of staff from certain schools were openly demanding bribes.

Parents are told that places can be secured by the pupils who pay a bribe rather than those who excel in the entrance tests.

“It is no longer a secret that some mission school officials are openly demanding bribes of up to US$500 for your child to be offered a place, irrespective of writing entrance tests,” she said.

Dating back to the colonial era, mission boarding schools have always been considered the best option for pupils whose parents cannot afford private schools.

Rural day schools are perceived as the worst with high-density schools considered only marginally better.

However, some of the schools that are being inundated by applicants do not necessarily have the best pass rates.

2010 results indicate that St Ignatius College, Goromonzi, Kutama and Gokomere are among the schools who are still riding on their reputation yet they are being beaten by little-known schools when it comes to results.

According to the 2010 pass rate rankings, Monte Casino, Kriste Mambo High, Hartzel High, St Faith, Daramombe High, St Ignatius College, John Tallack, St Dominic’s and Shungu High were among schools with the best O Level results.

Zaka High, Marange High and Daramombe Secondary School, Wanezi High, Emmanuel Secondary, Lundi Secondary, Msengezi High and Mazowe High had the best A Level results.

Sunday News

By Stanford Chiwanga

27 November 2011

The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, is without doubt a newsmaker, not because he ruthlessly uses the media to promote his political career but because of his hard-working nature and commitment to reversing the decay in the education sector.

When Senator Coltart took over the Ministry of Education more than two years ago, few thought that he would solve the catalogue of challenges that bedevilled the education sector. Most teachers had left the profession, those that remained were not motivated as they were always striking, temporary teachers outnumbered qualified teachers and the student-textbook ration was wretched.

But fast forward to today and you see that the teachers that left want in, teachers are not getting enough but somehow they are motivated and have rarely gone on strike, the temporary teachers no longer outnumber qualified teachers and the student-textbook ratio is going back to 1:1.

Without a doubt Senator Coltart has set an example for other ministries and deserves the favourable ratings that are a tribute to his work ethic. It is because of all this and more that Let’s Talk went out of its way to remove the minister from his work for minutes to interrogate him about his achievements and inspirations in the education sector.

There has been no turnaround

The media and some experts in the education sector are convinced that Senator Coltart has turned an education sector that was infamous for disorganisation and chaos into a model of tranquillity with his dedication and hands-on policy.

But Senator Coltart does not agree with the assessment that he has done wonders and is adamant that education is far from a turnaround.

“I don’t think there is any turnaround to talk about here, I still feel that we are not yet out of the woods. My ministry has managed to stabilise it and I did not do that alone, I have a dedicated team at my ministry. For me it’s too early to say we have turned it around.

“Believe me when I took over education I had no idea what to expect. I was appalled by what I found; the whole sector had broken down. There were massive challenges and they are still there and if I was light-hearted I could have walked away but I decided to tackle all those challenges because I believe children have a right to education,” said Senator Coltart.

Nothing but respect

At the time Senator Coltart filled one of the hottest seats in the Government, the relationship between Government and teachers’ unions was beyond acidic. The Government was unmoved by the unions’ unrealistic salary hike demands and in turn the unions adopted a confrontational approach exemplified by never-ending strikes, when the Government refused to give in to their demands.

For Senator Coltart the re-establishment of good lines of communication was a must for teachers to start teaching again.

“Communication has broken down but I was determined to restore respect to the teaching fraternity so I came up with an open door policy. I got out of my way to make contact with the teachers’ unions. Now we meet regularly and I always give them an audience when they request a meeting and because of those talks my reign has hardly had any strikes.

“The secret of my success with teachers is respect that teachers are entitled to that and that if held in high esteem teachers will act in a responsible and patriotic manner. This year we hardly had any strikes or stay-aways; this is not rocket science but a policy of respecting teachers. I respect teachers and I treat them as human beings with needs like every citizen of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Teacher incentives

Parents and guardians give the thumbs-up to almost all policies that Senator Coltart has crafted for the education sector but there is one blemish that they are quick to point out when given the opportunity to do so – the controversial and much-debated teacher incentives.

To them the introduction of teacher incentives was a grave error because they have been compelled to take the position of the employer regardless of the fact that they like of teachers earn little.

“Incentives are serving a purpose because they help teachers stay in the profession as they supplement the survival salaries that teachers are still earning. They have stabilised the sector and I have no doubt that they have motivated teachers to teach with vigour,” said Senator Coltart.

Some proponents of teacher incentives have gone on to say that they have contributed to the development of the education sector but Senator Coltart is not convinced.

He said: “I don’t believe incentives have contributed to the development of the education sector in terms of progression. Development involves improvement and transition to another better level and that is not the scenario we have on the ground.  Their purpose is to keep teachers happy.”

Senator Coltart revealed that the scrapping of the incentives is not a decision to make alone and said for that to happen it will need the consent of the teachers’ unions.

“Incentives will be scrapped as soon as the teachers’ unions unanimously agree that they must go. I am not going to abolish them without the input of the unions and I don’t think the unions would want them to be abolished until teachers earn a decent salary,” he said.

The above sentiments are not surprising as Senator Coltart is on record for saying incentives are a necessary evil.

“I am sorry that as parents you have to pay incentives. I want to put an end to them but I should do so at a time that is responsible. I cannot to the thing that is popular and abolish incentives only to reverse the gains we have achieve since I became Minister of Education,” said Senator Coltart.

Decent salary

It is obvious that if teachers earned a decent salary the problems in the education sector would be few and far between. The awarding of a decent salary is one way of getting out of the deep end.

And Senator Coltart heartily agrees: “In the 1990s the salary of a teacher was the equivalent of US$500. I am not talking about the current valuation of the US dollar but that of the 90s, so if everything was in order teachers should be earning way more than US$500. For me then absolute minimum benchmark teacher salary should be in that level.

“If we are to restore dignity to the teaching fraternity, we need to look beyond that and model our education sector in the lines of countries such as Singapore that accord teachers the same respect as accountants and doctors. Our vision should be to remunerate teachers accordingly.”

Senator Coltart believes for Zimbabwe to make a transition from Third World status to First World there is a need to prioritise the education and welfare of teachers.

“In Finland even if you teach Grade One you need a masters degree and because of that requisite teachers are paid as much as other professionals who earn high salaries. Our teachers need to upgrade themselves as well because they are tasked with educating the future of the nation. And on our part as Government we should set ourselves a long-term goal, a national goal to give teachers what is due to them,” said Senator Coltart.

Teacher re-entry

The irresistible pull of the multi-currency system saw a number of teachers who had left in frustration developing a desire to come back into the system and the Government crafted an amnesty policy to make their re-entry smooth.

But it has been anything but smooth as some teachers who reapplied for their old jobs are being frustrated, some have their salaries delayed, some are blatantly denied re-entry and some have not even been paid months after being re-employed.

Senator Coltart had this to say: “I am aware of those incidents and subsequent complaints and I am deeply concerned and frustrated that some elements in acts of sabotage see it fit to put obstacles in the path of our teachers. I have talked to the Public Service Commission and we are investigating all those allegations. I hope we will uproot such elements and allow the education sector to have sanity.”

Free primary school education

In the 80s Zimbabwe used to have a free primary school education policy that gave a right to children to education but sadly it was scrapped.

Advocates for the reintroduction of free primary education are born every day and Senator Coltart is part of those advocates.

“The scrapping of that policy was a poor decision. We cannot deny those who cannot afford to pay fees the right to education because they have no money. The problem is that we are not making education an absolute priority. Free education is one of the things I always argue for in Government but I have sadly realised that we only pay lip service,” he said.

Senator Coltart believes that Zimbabwe has misplaced priorities and the changing of attitudes is the only way that free primary education will return. .

He said: “When money is being allocated in the budget, the Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs are given huge amounts of money while the education sector is given little. As long as we have such attitudes as a county, I don’t see education improving significantly.”

Condoms in schools

A controversial approach to reduce rates of sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancies in schools, the distribution of condoms in schools was proposed by some non-governmental organisations and it raised such a stink that those who had no interest in education made noise about it.

However, Senator Coltart attacked that proposal saying the distribution of condoms in schools conflicts with common sense.

“I am opposed to condoms being introduced in schools, it’s inappropriate and will no way lower STDs and pregnancies, but will promote promiscuity.”

He believes that the implementation of abstinence education in schools is the only way to lower rates of teen pregnancies out of wedlock.

Textbooks

If there is one policy that has earned Senator Coltart adulation and accolades it is his goal to make sure that textbook sharing in schools is a thing of the past. He is already done with primary schools after convincing UNICEF and other Western agencies to donate 13 million textbooks worth US$50 million to the country’s primary schools.

Recently he launched the US$85 million education fund by the Government, the United Nations and other Western donors, which is aimed at improving education in the country’s secondary schools.

Other ministries have dismally failed to source such funds from the sceptical Western world which still treats Zimbabwe like a leper. So what is Senator Coltart’s secret negotiating tactic?

“It is easier to promote the interests of children than for other ministries, let’s say transport, to get funds for roads. Western donors are concerned about the welfare of children, the might be fighting the political leadership but they strongly believe that children should not be made to suffer,” said Senator Coltart.

He revealed that at first the donors were reluctant as they feared that the money could be abused.

Senator Coltart said: “To assure them that their money would be used well, we set up the Education Transition Fund which is managed by UNICEF, the donors and the Government. I am not against that arrangement because it is a win-win situation. The Government is not dictated in any way, it sets the agenda and the money is released to meet that goal.”

Infrastructure development

It is an undisputable fact that school infrastructures leave a lot to be desired as some students have lessons under tree, a scenario that also exists in urban areas.

Something needs to be done and Senator Coltart is already doing something.

“The Education Transition Fund Phase 2 will be looking at the rehabilitation of school classrooms, water and toilets.

“We are glad that the Ministry of Finance has given us US$27 million but it’s necessary to point out that it’s not enough. We have more than 8000 schools and if you divide that US$27 million each school gets US$3300 which is only sufficient to paint classrooms and offices. By my estimates we require amounts that run into hundreds of millions if we want to really rehabilitate our schools,” he said.

The distorted history of Zimbabwe

Senator Coltart and many others believe the history of the liberation of Zimbabwe is distorted and there is a need to rewrite it for students to know what really took place during the struggle for independence.

He said: “I believe that a distorted history gives birth to a lost and ignorant generation and does not give us a true identity of who we are, where we came from and where we are going. For us to have our true identity, we need to teach our children the true and objective history of Zimbabwe.

“That can only happen if we take politics out of the equation and allow neutral and apolitical historians to rewrite our history curriculum. Besides history, our curriculum is outdated and needs updating, we now live in a technology-driven world and our children need a curriculum that is computer-based. There is also terrorism, all these new happenings and innovations need to be captured in the curriculum.”

Sunday News

27 November

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Engineer Walter Mzembi has said it was unfair for the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC-N) to burden Senator David Coltart with running the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, as he has very little knowledge of the cultural discipline of the portfolio because of his background.

Speaking in Bulawayo on Wednesday last week, Eng Mzembi said although he had nothing personal against Sen Coltart, he felt there was an oversight on the part of MDC-N and the principals in the Inclusive Government on the important cultural discipline that he was let to preside over when it was clear that he has little appreciation of that aspect as he was from a culture alien to Zimbabwe.

“Although Sen Coltart may not say so himself, I felt giving him that ministry with the important culture aspect was n oversight on the part of the Inclusive Government. They looked at the wholesome education and trivialised the culture aspect which is an important cog at the ministry.

“Those are some of the clear iniquities of the Inclusive Government and perhaps that is why there is so much talk of it having failed the nation and the incessant call to wrap it up,” said Minister Mzembi.

He said President Mugabe could have noticed the anomaly but he had no latitude to refuse the MDC their preferred candidate for that portfolio.

“The issue is that Dave (Sen David Coltart) is a white man. He belongs to a minority by was tasked with presiding over the blacks’ divergent cultures. It is obvious that he has little knowledge and appreciation of the importance of our culture and as a result is doing little in improving that discipline which when properly promoted will give some impetus to the tourism sector as well.

“It was just unfair for him. I am however, positive that all those anomalies will be dealt with by President Mugabe next year when he puts in place a Cabinet that will not be inclusive as I am sure that Zanu-PF is going to win the forthcoming elections with a thud,” sad Eng Mzembi.

Sen Coltart, however, said he felt he was working hard to balance all the disciplines that fall in the ambit of his portfolio.

He said the people involved in those disciplines were the ones who were best able to judge his performance so far.

“I think it is not ok for me to comment on those allegations. I will not be able to judge myself. It is better, therefore, that you get a comment from the people directly involved in the arts and culture disciplines of the ministry,” he said.

Amakhosi director, Mr Continueloving Mhlanga, gave substance to Eng Mzembi’s assertions saying the arts were not fully represented.

He said there was gross marginalisation of the arts and culture disciplines in the country something he said was leading to the retarded growth of the industry.

“I used to believe that the marginalisation of arts and culture was perpetuated be people from Bambazonke (Harare). Now I have come to realise that even ministers from this region are not better. The arts and culture have continued to suffer from neglect and the description of our predicament by Oliver Mtukudzi that the problem faced with the arts and culture industry in the country is that of attitude is apt.

“For the record Minister Coltart went to china and was given some arts instruments that he gave to an upper class institution that is patronised by whites. We thought he was going to give the instruments to an institution that nurtures talent from the poor, to people who cannot afford to buy guitars for themselves but he did just the opposite and that clearly shows the attitude problem and the levels of marginalisation that we in the arts and culture industry continue to be subjected to. Whether it is the Treasury or our own ministry we don’t know but the bottom line is that there is very little representation,” said Mr Mhlanga.

He added that it was shocking how the arts and culture disciplines were financially crippled saying the authorities continue to show their neglect by inadequately financing the disciplines.

He said despite the high levels of education of the ministers they continue to overlook the arts and culture industry because they have  no appreciation of the disciplines.

• Methinks Australia need to take note of Zimbabwe's run chase against New Zealand – 168 runs needed with 7 wickets remaining should be easy #
• There is nothing quite like a #Zimbabwean thunderstorm, especially after weeks of blazing hot weather. Zimbabwe at its most glorious. #
• Now you see why Bulawayo is such a good #cricket Test venue – we had 28 mm of rain last night but we have woken up to a perfect day #
• I should not display bias I know but must confess am loving the Tuskers' performance in #ZimT20 Having Chris Gayle playing is wonderful. #

The Standard

By Jennifer Dube

27 November 2011

The year 2011 was the best teaching year in a long time, although more still needs to be done to make education more accessible in the country, Education minister David Coltart said last week.

Coltart said unlike in other recent years, there were less strikes this year, allowing pupils and students more days in class. “We spent much of this year laying a good foundation for the rehabilitation of the sector,” Coltart said. “The Education Transition Fund (ETF) went a long way in ensuring that primary and secondary schools got enough textbooks for all children.”

The international donor community, led by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), early this month launched the second phase of the ETF, starting a massive nationwide distribution of at least seven million textbooks to the country’s secondary schools.

This exercise brought to more than 22 million the total number of textbooks procured and distributed to primary and secondary schools as a way of assisting government as it struggles to restore normalcy in the sector, once the envy of the region.

Other positives this year include embarking on a curriculum review and Statutory Instruments relating to education which will come into effect next year, Coltart said, adding that a lot was also done towards assisting schools to improve their administrative duties, especially in the area of data capture with computers being distributed to many schools.

“We have also completed a five-year strategic plan and that will be presented to cabinet soon,” he said.

More still needs to be done: Students

Students Solidarity Trust coordinator Simba Nyamanhindi agreed that there were some positives which justified the celebration of this year’s International Education Week a week ago.

“There was a marked improvement in terms of availability of education although accessibility remains an issue especially because of the fees which remain high,” Nyamanhindi said.

“The multi-currency system and the prevailing political environment all helped bring some normalcy in the sector. “The ETF has also gone a long way in alleviating the plight of especially primary school pupils.

“Generally, education is now available but more needs to be done to make it universally accessible.” Nyamanhindi said the re-establishment of the grants scheme for tertiary education is one of the ways which can help improve accessibility.

He added that although halls of residence at the University of Zimbabwe were re-openned, accommodation too remained a problem as these were unaffordable to many and students continued renting in nearby suburbs.

In a statement, the MDC Youth Assembly equated tuition fees to “exorbitant learning fines”. “As the students of Zimbabwe, we are the gross source of the much needed human capital for the attainment of economic growth and sustainable development, or at least equitable development,” part of the statement read.

“Demanding the reinstatement, in full, of the grants, the scrapping of the insane user fees, the accordance of fundamental freedoms and our rights is what our blood is worth.”

Coltart admitted that gaps remained, citing dropout rates as an example. “Sadly, we are a long way away from attaining the millennium development goals, especially regarding primary school education,” he said. “Education remains very inaccessible to an unacceptably high number of children.

“Dropout rates are unacceptably high as parents and guardians cannot afford the fees.”

Governmnet urged to give more priority to education

Coltart said government needed to prioritise education and allocate more funds to the sector for it to fully recover. “While I am grateful for what the minister of finance allocated us, the funds are still insufficient,” he said.

“We are spending way more on foreign travel than on education and that is a warped priority. “We were allocated a non-salary amount of US$66 million last year and only US$14, 8 million has been received so far compared to US$50 million spent on foreign travel.”

Coltart said the US$27 million allocated for the rehabilitation of schools in last week’s budget was also very little as he had 8 000 schools,  which meant that each school would get US$3 300 to cater for its needs.