Support children’s rights programmes’

From Thupeyo Muleya in Beitbridge

The Beitbridge Town Council deputy chairperson has urged parents to take a proactive role in human rights-based education and maintain functional children’s rights and protection programmes in the district.

Speaking during a Beitbridge district education performance awards ceremony for 2009 at Lutumba Primary School last Friday, Councillor Patricia Ndlovu said child friendly schools should aim to develop the whole child by promoting diversity.

This year’s awards were held under the theme "Child friendly school a must for all".

"The schools should ensure equality of learning for all children by meeting their different circumstances and needs based on gender, social class and ethnicity and ability levels. The school environment should be conducive to meet the needs of the child".

Mrs Ndlovu urged school development committees across the district to join hands with other stakeholders to improve the education system.

She said revamping the education sector needed a joint effort from all stakeholders.

"School Development Committees need to work hard in collaboration with other stakeholders in providing resources necessary for curriculum that will cater for the pupils’ differentiated abilities, interests and aptitudes.

"They should promote a healthy, hygienic and safe learning environment with adequate water, sanitation and the provision of health services like the Nutritional Supplementation and counselling.

"It is highly pleasing that our schools are now offering ECD education and that our teachers are taking the teaching of local languages seriously as witnessed by the large number of teachers taking study leave degrees in local languages," she said.

Speaking at the same function, the district education officer Mr Sam Siyafa Moyo said the department was courting partners across Zimbabwe to improve the education quality of facilities.

"We have started championing the electrification of more schools, while others have to operate on solar panels as a way of improving the working environment for teachers and pupils.

"Apart from that we have also distributed 940 computers to most secondary schools and very soon we will be sourcing the same for primary schools," he said.

Beitbridge district has 55 primary and 13 secondary schools.

Among those who received awards were Jopembe School (Best Primary in academic performce), Zezani High (Best Ordinary Level results), Tongwe High School (Best Advanced Level results) and Dulibadzimu Primary School (Best Arts and Cultural school) among others.

Also honoured at the event were best O’ level results pupil Nyathi Lerato who had four As, three Bs and a C while the best A’ level pupils was Winnie Siziba who attained 12 points.

published by, The Herald 26 July 2010
www.herald.co.zw