Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo announced that 120 new public schools and 300 classrooms will be built across the country this year, following the securing of US$20 million in funding from international partners.
Moyo said this in the National Assembly while addressing concerns raised in the Primary and Secondary Education Parliamentary Portfolio Committee’s report on the state of school infrastructure.
The report highlighted issues such as inadequate infrastructure, a lack of basic amenities, the absence of disability-friendly facilities, and delays in project completion due to funding constraints. Moyo said:
Resources permitting, the ministry will prioritise building more schools to address these challenges.
I must mention that in the 2025 calendar year, we have secured adequate resources to construct new schools. We are targeting not less than 120 new schools.
These include 30 schools whose funding we have already received from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion through the National Building Society.
So, it is a model that has been used by universities like Chinhoyi University where we have received financial support from the National Building Society to construct 30 schools and these schools will be distributed to all the 10 provinces in Zimbabwe.
Moyo added that, in addition to the 30 schools, the government’s partner, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), has also provided funding for the construction of new schools. He said:
So, in the first term, we are going to receive US$20 million towards school construction. The partner is going to provide funding for the construction of 50 schools. Of these 50 schools, 40 will be day schools and 10 are going to be boarding schools.
So, the government on its own is going to construct not less than 100 schools but we also have our partners, these are individuals, corporates, who are going to provide funding for construction of private schools and colleges so that we expect at least 120 schools to be built in 2025.
Moyo said his ministry will work with Members of Parliament to identify areas in need of new schools.
He also confirmed that funding has been secured for the construction of an additional 300 classrooms to accommodate the growing student population.
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