New operational vehicles to ensure smooth schools opening

Nqobile Tshili, [email protected] 

THE Government has announced that all systems are in place for a smooth opening of schools on Tuesday, with the Treasury equipping the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education with operational vehicles to monitor teaching and learning.

Schools open for the First Term of 2025 on January 14, and parents have been urged to pay fees on time to support the Government’s efforts in delivering quality education.

While parents and guardians have been busy buying uniforms and stationery for their children, the ministry handed over 15 operational vehicles to various District Schools Inspectors on Wednesday. In an interview, Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Moses Mhike said everything is set for the opening of schools.

“I’m happy to say we are ready for the opening of schools. On Monday, I had a management meeting at the Harare International Conference Centre, which was attended by our senior management, including the Provincial Education Directors, District Schools Inspectors, and executive leaders from the National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) and the National Association of Primary Heads (Naph), where we discussed the issue of schools opening. The message was emphatically clear that we are ready for the opening of schools for the first term of 2025,” said Mhike.

He said that to enhance education delivery, the ministry is on a drive to procure operational vehicles for schools. 

“One of the concerns we raised in 2024 was that the majority of our schools do not have operational vehicles. Since we highlighted this, Treasury has been able to buy some vehicles for us. This is an ongoing process. Initially, we were provided with 30 vehicles, and we got another 15 during the last quarter of the year. This week, we have been able to deploy another 15 vehicles. Basically, 90 percent of the deployments are going to rural districts, and we will be using them for monitoring programmes,” he said.

Mhike stressed the need for a robust monitoring programme for teaching and learning to deliver quality education. He noted that some teaching and learning have not been evaluated in some schools for more than a decade due to a shortage of operational vehicles. 

“We are not done; we will continue to lobby Treasury so that we get more vehicles to improve the monitoring of teaching and learning in schools,” he said.

As schools heighten preparations for the opening, Mhike said a multi-pronged approach will be key in delivering quality education. He mentioned that while Treasury budgets for the provision of teaching and learning materials, the ministry’s partners have also pledged to provide resources to help deliver quality education. 

“Even parents, through the Schools Development Committees (SDCs), are coming on board to assist our schools to ensure they have adequate resources,” he said.

Mhike reminded parents and guardians of their responsibility to pay fees. The law prohibits school authorities from sending away pupils over non-payment of fees. 

“Our issue is very simple on payment of fees; that obligation must rest with parents. Schools must not chase away pupils whose parents have not paid fees. Parents should engage schools where they cannot pay fees in full and come up with payment plans. We don’t want learners whose fees are not paid up when schools close,” said Mhike.

He also urged stakeholders in the education sector to take caution as the schools’ reopening coincides with heavy rains being received in most parts of the country. In the past, education authorities in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, died after their vehicle was swept away as they attempted to cross a flooded river. 

“We are opening schools during the rainy season. We have said to our communities that let us be extra vigilant. We don’t want pupils to be crossing flooded rivers. Also, school authorities should assess the infrastructure in our schools; we don’t want any mishaps happening in our schools. All we are saying is let us be mindful and weather-conscious as we open schools,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the Ministry said that as schools reopen, the government will be rolling out the Heritage-Based Education Curriculum while schools have been cautioned against declining the ZiG. 

“School authorities are reminded that the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) remains a legal tender of transaction in schools. It is a key basis of transaction in the payment of fees and levies and procurement of assets, among the basket of other currencies. Parents and guardians must pay fees and levies in the currency of their choice, and not exclusively in a certain currency, especially the US dollar,” read the statement.

The ministry said it will continue to work with other Government agencies to ensure compliance. It also stated that parents must not be forced to buy uniforms from schools. 

“Schools are allowed to run uniform production units as commercial ventures without compelling parents and guardians to procure only in schools. Parents are free to purchase at competitive advantage without being coerced to get them only from the schools. Schools are duty-bound to specify school uniforms, appropriate colours, and shades to parents and guardians to facilitate their choice of service providers,” reads the statement.

The ministry encouraged school authorities to continue enrolling school-aged children so that no pupil is left behind. 

“Adult learners should also be assisted to access non-formal education. Furthermore, school authorities should give pupils their Grade 7, O, and A-level results as soon as they are released. Withholding of pupils’ results is not permissible. The contract of undertaking public examinations in Zimbabwe is between the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council and the candidates, while the obligation to pay fees and levies remains with the parents and guardians,” reads the statement.