Govt avails $9m for textbooks

Published: 19 January 2018

Government has injected $9 million towards the procurement of textbooks for satellite, underprivileged and rural schools to ensure that the new curriculum is well implemented, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima revealed the figures during a groundbreaking ceremony for Glaudina Council Primary School in Harare yesterday.

Prof Mavima said the new curriculum was an important factor in the country's economic development. "We have injected $9 million towards the purchasing of textbooks and technological gadgets meant to benefit marginalised schools," he said.

"Most of our urban and private schools can afford these and they already have the necessary gadgets and staff to implement the new curriculum, which is why we are targeting satellite, underprivileged and rural schools.

"We have been given $21 million by Government to ensure that the new curriculum is well funded. We have also been promised $10 million by the Global Fund for Education for this noble cause.

"We are now aiming for global competition with leading countries in the academic world because we are now lonely in Africa as we are recognised as the most educated country with no real competition." Prof Mavima emphasised the need for the construction of modern schools.

"Very soon we will be building modern vertical schools in the rural areas to meet the standards of the new curriculum and there will be electricity, running water, standard teacher's quarters and Wi-Fi connections as well," he said.

"Other ministries will then be forced to change and meet the standards that we would have set through the new curriculum and the whole country will be modernised." Glaudina Council Primary School will be the 34th council school in Harare. It is being constructed through a partnership between City of Harare and Naldline (Pvt) Ltd.
- zimpapers

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