By Sifelani Murambiwa.
Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) – Hundreds of prospective Grade 0 and Form 1 students in Chiredzi are likely have their right to education violated as schools in the town are failing to accommodate the growing number of pupils.
News Of The South spoke to Tell Zimbabwe, Chiredzi District Education Officer Assaniel Chauke who said: “ parents and school heads have been visiting his office to launch complains over inadequate places for form 1 and Grade 0 pupils”.
“The issue of places at schools is a cause of concern especially in Chiredzi urban. Parents have been visiting my office complaining about the inadequate schools saying their children would fail to proceed with their education but i said the issue will be addressed after the holiday,” said Chauke.
Parents criticised Chiredzi Town Council for failing to construct more schools to cater for its growing population and this has resulted in yearly problems when enrolment time comes.
“If you visit Masvingo, council is busy constructing schools in areas which they want to settle people but in Chiredzi its completely different. They have expanded the town thrice but if truth be told they never constructed any school in those areas,” said one parent.
Another parent said council must create good relations with churches who have the capacity to build schools instead of taking all responsibilities which they are failing to handle.
“Its known that council has been struggling to raise money even to pay for its workers but that doesn’t limit them from engaging churches and NGOs to help them construct schools. A council must stand for its people and provide basic services such as water, good roads and schools but if people fail this then they must go home,” said one parent.
United Chiredzi Residents and Reate Payers Association Chairman Josphat Tizirai said residence are not happy with the decade long problem of shortage of schools which is insinuated by councils failed response.
“Council has been noticing the existence of a ragging school shortage problem for years but they have done little to mitigate. Now due to rural-urban migration the situation has worsened. People are now living in towns which mean their children would need schools closer to the parent. In short more schools must be constructed and failure would result children learning in packed classrooms which is not the best thing,” said Tizirai.
Chiredzi Town Council chairman councillor Francis Moyo however said council is very much aware of the pressing shortage of places for pupils and they have plans to start constructing schools.
“We captured the issue of constructing more schools in the 2015 budget. We have witnessed chaos at schools and by next year we don’t want those episodes to happen. We will work flat out within our budgetary capacity to correct the school shortage problem,” said Moyo.
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