The Ministry of Education, which is currently in the process of revamping the education sector, has ordered 13 million text books that will be distributed to schools nationwide. This will reduce the student: text book ratio, which is currently in access to 20 students per book.
In an interview the Minister of Education Sports and Culture David Coltart, said the ministry, which had already started distributing education material to primary schools had made the largest single order of text books in the history of the country from a fund that the minister set up in September last year.
“I set up a transitional fund in September last year that required huge amount of money and I am happy that we have made significant progress in that regard. We have managed to get US$42million of our targeted US$52million. Donors have assured us that they are going to give us the remaining US$10milion dollars. With the money we have been able to buy exercise books pens and other educational material.
“We have made an order of 13 million text books, the largest single order in the history of the country. At the moment if you go to schools you will find only the teacher with a text but with the latest development students will no longer have to share books. When these books are delivered they are going to bring the ratio to one student per copy and once the primary schools get the books we will move to secondary schools,” said Coltart.
Our education is currently in extreme crisis. Teachers have been teaching under extremely harsh conditions, without chalks, black boards and basic tools, he added
He said all this was going to change as the ministry had rolled out education material, which included exercise books, pens, mathematical set and chalks to all primary schools nationwide.
Coltart added that the procurement and distribution of learning material was one step towards the restoration of free basic education that the country adopted after the attainment of independence in 1980 but was abandoned in the 90s due to political and economic instability.
However the Inclusive Government that had restored donor confidence in the country had seen major improvements in the sector. Teachers had returned to schools and the Ministry of Education had reached an agreement with teachers unions over the disruptive industrial actions that affected the sector in the past years.
“We have made significant progress, and we hope that the donors will continue supporting us. Most of the money for the education sector is coming from the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom. As a minister I am still worried though with the teachers’ salaries and I am pushing in cabinet for reviews because it does matter what fancy buildings or text books that the schools have if morale is low among teachers then they wont be any progress.
Post published in: World News