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Sukulwenkosi Dube- Matutu Plumtree Correspondent
PARENTS in rural communities in Matabeleland South are withdrawing their children from Early Childhood Development (ECD) classes because of long distances walked by pupils to primary schools.

Some pupils have to walk for more than 20 kilometres to and from school in some districts.

The provincial education director, Mrs Tumisang Thabela, said as a result children were enrolling for Grade 1 without going through ECD classes, which was against Government policy.

She urged rural communities to construct infant schools to help reduce distances walked by children.

“In Matabeleland South we have a challenge of children who enrol for Grade 1 without attending ECD classes. This is partly because some parents are not forthcoming in sending their children to ECD.

“The distances walked by some children are too long and as a result parents withdraw their children from school in a bid to protect them. That is why we are urging communities to build infant schools where primary schools are situated far away,’’ said Mrs Thabela.

She said infant schools were less costly to construct as they were learning institutions that were supposed to house ECD (A) to Grade 2 pupils.

She said some communities were turning infant schools into primary schools.

Mrs Thabela said ECD was a critical stage for pupils, although the Government could not stop children who would not have not gone through ECD from enrolling into Grade One.

“ECD up to Grade 2 is now viewed as infant stage while Grade 3 to Grade 7 is the junior stage. Communities can now build an infant school which can stand on its own or a junior school depending on the need of each community,” she said.

Mrs Thabela said while Government was making efforts to promote ECD learning, Matabeleland South was struggling to secure qualified teachers to take up ECD posts.

She said the province needed 1 600 ECD teachers but had only managed to secure 116.

She said as a result most ECD classes were under the supervision of unqualified staff, which was against the education policy.

Mrs Thabela said qualified teachers shunned rural schools.

“The education policy states that teachers of ECD classes have to be diploma holders but the province does not have them. It also requires the qualified teachers to be conversant in the local language of the area where they are posted because ECD pupils have to be taught in their local language.

“As a province we only have 116 teachers out of 1 600 posts and the SDC’s of various schools have employed unqualified personnel to cover the gaps,” she said.