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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
BULAWAYO requires 65 new schools as existing ones are now crowded with some of them having enrolments of more than 2 000 pupils.

The latest council report shows the municipality stipulates that there should be a school for every 500 households.

“But the continuous growth of the city has seen the council and its partners failing to build the schools within the stipulated radius with over 6 000 households sharing three schools in some parts of the city,” the report says.

According to the stipulation, a radius of 6 000 homes should have 12 schools.

As a stopgap measure the council recommended that 12 schools should be immediately constructed in new suburbs.

“As a way of prioritising pressure areas in Nkulumane, Emganwini and Cowdray Park it was necessary to build 12 new schools in the medium and short term to improve on the learning environment. Council was to commit itself in funding the construction of these schools because pressure was being exerted on the existing schools. Over years council had had a capital budget to fund the construction of the schools, but this had not been successful due to financial constraints,” reads the report.

“The estimated number of schools needed as per Town Planning guidelines in the new suburbs was 65…As resources become available council together with other stakeholders could increase the number of schools to the expected level.”

The congestion at schools is compromising the quality of education at the institutions.

In Cowdray Park, the report states that five schools should be built as a matter of urgency although the area requires about 10 learning institutions to cater for 6 375 households.

“According to the current city’s strategic plan, there was need to build/construct one school per annum to meet the demand for schools by the city’s residents and population growth. The Town Planning standards stipulated that a school was required for every 500 households existing in an area,” reads the report.

“The three schools in Cowdray Park suburb have a combined enrolment of 6 500 pupils which is unsustainable – Mahlathini (2 301 pupils), Tategulu (2 288) Mkhithika Thebe (1 943).”

“The three council schools had enrolments which were unmanageable and thus affecting the quality of education offered. The results from these schools were not very impressive and as such decongesting them could alleviate the challenges the schools faced,” reads the report.

In Emganwini suburb three primary schools are needed to decongest Senzangakhona Primary School with 2 070 pupils, Mgiqika Primary School (1 842), Mganwini Primary (1 471), Nketa Primary School (1 483), Manondwane Primary School (1 292) within a radius of over 5 451 households.

In Pumula South two schools should be constructed to complement Dumezweni and Ngwalongwalo primary schools which have enrolments of 1 970 and 1 518 pupils respectively.

The report shows that two more schools should be constructed in Mahatshula suburb with its growing population of more than 4 127 households while one should be constructed in Nkulumane 12 suburb to ease pressure on Mgoqo Primary School which has an enrolment of 1 936.

The Government this week said it will be launching a programme in Bulawayo to build additional schools in Cowdray Park and Pumula South to decongest the existing ones.

This came a few months after the Government, through the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) set out to construct more school as there is a deficit of more than 2 000 schools countrywide.

@nqotshili