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Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
Binga District is losing out on the STEM initiative as none of its schools has a science laboratory.

The initiative seeks to promote the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and maths subjects in schools countrywide.
Binga Rural District Council Chairperson Munkombwe Dube told members of the parliamentary committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing touring the district that they have 123 primary schools and 39 secondary schools, but no science laboratories.

“Our major problem is the lack of science laboratories as well as the science teachers in all of our secondary schools. We have no single science laboratory throughout the whole district. This is making it hard to effectively teach science subjects,” said the council chairperson.

He said most schools do not have proper infrastructure.

Dube said they were forever stuck with temporary teachers as qualified ones were leaving due to poor infrastructure.  He said construction of schools is done mostly by local communities and a few by the donor community.

“Council assists the communities with a few tasks as well as linking donors to communities for funding for schools infrastructure construction.

Considering the dire need for qualified teachers in the district and distances to available teacher training colleges, there is need for the establishment of teacher training college in the district,” said Dube. “This can also go a long way in the teaching of Tonga which is now examined at secondary level. The nearest teacher’s training college is in Bulawayo, more than 400 km away.”

He said pupils in the district walk for as many as 30km to their nearest school, resulting in many opting out of school.

Matabeleland North Provincial Education Officer Boitathelo Mnguni told The Chronicle that the construction of the first science laboratory in the district started recently.

“A science laboratory is now under construction at Binga High School and science kits have been made available at all high schools in the district.

We hope in about two years’ time we will be singing a different song with Binga district talking about and benefiting from STEM like other schools.

All high schools in the district received science kits from the government,” said Mnguni.