Zimpapers Logo

Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
ANOTHER unregistered school has opened at Killarney Squatter camp on the outskirts of Bulawayo as residents are failing to pay school fees at nearby formal schools.

The school has more than 50 children and is run by a qualified teacher who also lives at the squatter camp.

The teacher, who also mobilised other illegal settlers to start the school, Ms Constance Matanganyidze, said the school primarily enrols Early Childhood Development and Grades One to Three pupils who cannot walk long distances to Cement Side Primary School and Umguza Primary School.

Ms Matanganyidze holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Development she attained from the United College of Education and her husband is also a teacher at a formal school and they stay together at the squatter camp.

“We realised that there are so many children in our community who are not going to school as the schools available are far and some parents cannot afford to send their children to these schools. We then opened our doors in January and have been operational ever since,” said Ms Matanganyidze.

She said they were facing financial challenges in running the school and had problems sourcing learning materials for the children whose parents could not afford to purchase items such as notebooks, crayons and other stationery.

The teacher said stigmatisation and stereotyping of pupils from the squatter camp at formal schools also contributed to them opening the school.

Ms Matanganyidze said a local church donated furniture and other materials to the school.

She said the church, which she declined to name, takes the learners every Sunday morning to attend church in town and drops them later in the day.

“We get a lot of assistance from some well-wishers and of late we have been getting help from a local church. They gave us some furniture, chairs and tables for our classrooms and promised to help us with more materials as they sourced them,” Ms Matanganyidze said.

“We started living in this place in 2012 with our family after we faced some challenges. I have decided to contribute meaningfully to the community by offering my skills to these children. We hope that someday our little school will be a formal school,” she said.

Ms Matanganyidze said the school committee recently mobilised parents to build a Blair toilet for the children as she was aware of the need to practice high hygiene standards.

A resident who is a committee member of the informal school, Mr Themba Ncube, said the squatter camp now has about 200 families, and more than 250 children.

“There are many of us as some people have returned from Robert Sinyoka. We have about 200 families, 250 children of which some are not yet of school going age.

“Some walk to Cement school and Umguza school. However, about 50 are catered for at this school. The community is very supportive,” said Mr Ncube.

Bulawayo Acting Provincial Education Director Mrs Olicah Khaira said she was not aware of the new informal school at Killarney squatter camp.

“I am away in Harare at the moment. I am not aware of the school, however, when I return we will go there and investigate,” she said.

Late last month, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education closed an informal school at Ngozi Mine squatter camp.

About 190 pupils from the school were integrated to formal schools for them to receive standard education in Cowdray Park and Emakhandeni suburbs. —  @andile_tshuma