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Dr Lazarus Dokora

Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is set to launch a project to construct more schools in Bulawayo next week in a programme that is set to alleviate the shortage of schools and decongest the existing ones.

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Lazarus Dokora, said some of the areas that will have new schools under the national programme include Cowdray Park and Pumula suburbs.

“We’re going to be launching on August 11, 2017 the joint venture programme for the construction of pilot schools under the schools construction programme.

“In 2015 we reported that Cabinet had allowed us to start on the joint venture programme through the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ). A consultant has been identified through IDBZ and we must now start working on the construction of pilot schools,” said Dr Dokora, while launching the school management software programme in Bulawayo last Friday evening.

He said a number of schools in Bulawayo will be constructed and upgraded as part of the programme.

“In Bulawayo, Cowdray Park Primary is a decongestion school that is coming and a second secondary school in Cowdray Park as well. In Pumula South there’s another secondary school to be built there. Ngwenyama Primary School, a Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) project is also under construction but we’ll put it under the joint venture so that we quicken the process of completion.

“We’ll also have two primary schools in Khami District and one in Imbizo District under the same programme. At Lobengula High School, we’re planning to build a laboratory and teachers’ houses,” said Dr Dokora.

He said accommodation for teachers will be prioritised under the Government’s construction programme.

“Government is concerned about the welfare of teachers all over the country. No school therefore will be opened where there’s no accommodation for teachers and no teacher will be transferred to a school where there’s no accommodation.

“That is a promise to the teachers. We’ll make sure that every new school has adequate and comfortable accommodation for the teachers,” said Dr Dokora.

He said Government also has a programme of sinking boreholes in schools especially those in the rural areas.

The Minister said some schools have taken advantage of the borehole water by starting income generating projects.

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