“President Mugabe says that we will never be a colony again, but I think that we are in very real danger of being a colony, simply because of the catastrophic loss of skills from our country," he told the audience at an event organised by the Budiriro Trust"We simply don't have the skills to carry out projects and so rely on outsiders to do what we should be doing ourselves.
“This is such a tragedy when we have so much going for us. When I was minister I would do spot checks and travel out to a rural school with no warning. In the vast majority of cases – the vast majority – I would find the teachers there really engaging with their students, who often had no desks and were sat on a pot-holed floor.
“We have a real passion for education in our country. Representatives from both The World Bank and The International Monetary Fund have said to me 'you have a fantastic spirit' in Zimbabwe; when Deans of South African universities speak to me they say they are 'enthralled' by the graduates from our schools.”
But enthusiasm by itself is not enough and the system has been in such steep decline for the last two decades that it is now failing hundreds of thousands of children every year – and it’s getting worse, fast.
In 2012 there were 300,000 Zimbabwean children who qualified for special educational aid but were not getting it, according to Mr Coltart.
By the end of 2014 he estimates up to 1 million children could be affected in this way.
In addition, the status and pay of teachers has fallen, driving many out of the profession, the curriculum is badly out-of-date and schools across the country are crumbling for lack of maintenance.
“We all know that the future of every country in the world depends on its education system,” he says. “If an education system collapses, it doesn't matter how many gold or platinum mines we have, we are doomed. It's that simple.”
At the root of the crisis is a lack of funding. Although education is the largest item in the Zimbabwean budget, Mr Coltart believes the amount allocated is purely “theoretical”.
“In my last month as minister of education, in June 2013, we were running 8000 schools, 73 administrative districts, an 18-story headquarter building in Harare, with all the vehicle bills and lighting bills and other bills associated with this. To cover it all I was allocated just $20,000.
“The official budgetary amount was $3 million, but we actually received just $20,000.
“Until this changes, the decline will continue. We need political will, not just in Zanu PF, but among parents, who need to dig deeper. Until this happens, the outlook is very gloomy.
“The question for government, parents and individuals is: what is our priority? Is it big Government? Is it 39 cabinet ministers with their Mercedes Benz? A large defence force that we don't need? Or is it the education of our children?
“I'm not convinced that any of the political parties have got that yet. But the same question applies to the diaspora: are we going to spend that extra pound on a beer, or a sim card? Or are we going to invest it in our children?
“I'm often amazed by the foolishness– and I know that's a strong word – but I am amazed by the foolishness of people who can't find $5 for their children's education and yet they go to the pub and spend that money easily.”
Praising the work of the Budiriro Trust, Mr Coltart called on everyone to do all they could to fight for the future of the Zimbabwean education system: “Organisations like the Budiriro Trust play a critical role in identifying children with potential at O-Level and ensuring that they go on to A-level. “They will be the wealth creators of the future. You have to identify the talent and transform it; give them skills, and vision.
“Please, do what you can to support this wonderful organisation, which is run entirely by volunteers.
“Imagine if all thethousands of expat Zimbabweans could give them £1 a month? Imagine what they could do? How many children they could help?"
“I would ask you all to educate other Zimbabweans about the existence of the Budiriro Trust and the situation in Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabwe is a great land of opportunity for international companies to come and take our gold and platinum with very little long-term gain for us, and there is no attempt to raise local skills. This has to change.
“My time as minister gave me a completely new understanding about how important education is.
“I have been left with an overriding feeling that a wonderful education system is vital to any country, but especially a developing country.
“Our future depends on realising the potential of our young people. We owe it to them to give them teachers to teach them and schools for them to learn in.”
Information on the Budiriro Trust and ways of making donations can be found on their website: http://www.budirirotrust.org
