Construction of 17 world-class schools begins countrywide Prof Paul Mavima
Paul Mavima.

Paul Mavima.

Paidamoyo Chipunza, Harare Bureau
CONSTRUCTION of 17 world-class primary and secondary schools in the country under a $20 million grant facility from the Opec Fund for International Development (OFID) is expected to start this month, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavima has said.

In an interview on the sidelines of this year’s National Association of Primary School Heads (NAPH) conference held in Harare yesterday, Prof Mavima said the project is expected to take less than two years to complete.

“We have done all the bidding, we have identified the contractors and we are now working on financial closure.

“The project will commence this month and we anticipate that it will take up to six months, according to the contractors,” said Prof Mavima.

He said Government was pushing for world-class schools with amenities such as sporting facilities, laboratories, relevant equipment, furniture and standard teacher houses.

At least 12 primary schools and five secondary schools would be built under the grant. The schools are expected to be built in Mashonaland West at Sadoma Extension, Chehamba, Battlefields and Tavoy.

In Midlands, the anticipated beneficiaries will be in Budiriro and Neta.

In Mashonaland Central, the project will include areas such as Tengenenge, Claverhill, Belgonie, while in Masvingo construction will be at Chingwizi and Nyuni.

In Matabeleland North, Kokoloza and Jabulani schools will be constructed and in Mashonaland East, Good Hope will be built.

In Manicaland, Lawrencedale and Sterksrooms will be the beneficiaries, while in Matabeleland South, a school will be constructed in Hlanganani.

He said organisations intending to build schools in the country should comply with the new standards and also provide the stipulated amenities.

Professor Mavima said next year Government, under a public private partnership, expects to built 100 more schools and upgrade an additional 166 throughout the country to bring them to world-class standard.

The project is projected to take off by the first quarter of next year as Government moves to narrow the current national demand for schools from 2 056.

“We are working with the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) on this project, who is our partner and financial advisor,” said Prof Mavima.

Addressing scores of the school heads earlier, Prof Mavima urged them to “think big” and run “schools as businesses”, but cognisant of constitutional obligations that education was a basic human right.

He said the heads must therefore take advantage of platforms such as the Naph to share experiences and ideas of how best to develop their schools, citing an example of Glen View 2 Primary School, which he described as the best case study in Harare.

“Excellent headmasters are engaging in successful income-generating projects and using proceeds to further develop their schools.

“Vibrant school projects will aid infrastructure development such as school electrification, water and sanitation facilities and connectivity programmes,” said Prof Mavima.

He said all these projects were in line with the updated curriculum, which seeks to unlock learner’s potentials through provision of quality and affordable education.

He urged the school heads to embrace Government’s vision of modernising education by implementing the updated curriculum. “The updated curriculum demands a school head who is always eager to learn and acquire new competencies and abilities, a positive attitude and ascribes to an impeccable set of values and professional standards,” said Prof Mavima.

This year’s school heads conference ran under the theme “Curriculum implementation: A challenge to school heads.”

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