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Remote Schools Hamper Learning in Matabeleland

Mabheka secondary school is the only school available to six villages within a 30-kilometer radius at Dwala village. Image by Lynnia Ngwenya, March 2023


For students in Matabeleland, attending school is a struggle. With fewer schools per ward, many must walk long distances just to reach the nearest one.


This story is part of a reporting series supported by the Pulitzer Centre.


BY LYNNIA NGWENYA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAR 31, 2023


GWANDA (The Citizen Bulletin) — Siphethokuhle Zulu, a resident of Dwala village in Gwanda, is a concerned parent who fears that her son's dreams may be shattered.

Located in Ward 23, a resettlement area, Mabheka is the only secondary school available to six villages within a 30-kilometer radius.

“My son dropped out of school when he was thirteen years old,” Zulu says.


“He only attended secondary level for one term. He dropped out due to the long distance as he had to endure a  more than 20 kilometre journey every single day to Mabheka.”
Siphethokuhle Zulu, Dwala villager


According to Ward 23 Councilor Mthokozisi Tshuma, a single secondary school is insufficient to serve the needs of the entire ward.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) 2021 report, Matabeleland South is one of several provinces where a significant proportion of learners fail to complete their studies due to various factors, including poverty.

“Most of the out-of-school children reside in rural areas, varying from 72 per cent in upper secondary to 89 per cent in lower secondary. More than two thirds of the children who do not complete an education level reside in rural areas,” the report says.

Sikanyisiwe Nkomo, the Ward 23 Councillor for Insiza Rural District, says children in the ward are at risk of sexual abuse and other criminal acts when they have to travel long distances through rural areas to reach school.

“In the advent of Mabhambadzi (robbers who carry dangerous weapons),we fear that children will be raped or even killed. Many of them end up dropping out of school,” Nkomo says.

Nkomo notes that students from Debshan, Moffat, Fula, Thornville, and Fountain Farms must travel at least 10 to 12 kilometers to reach the nearest school, Shangani Secondary, located in Ward 22.

“We need a secondary school in our ward,” Nkomo adds.

According to Matabeleland South legislator Sipho Mokone, the central government has neglected the province.


“The situation has gone like this for quite some time now yet the province is very rich in natural resources like gold and lithium among others.”
Sipho Mokone, Matabeleland South legislator


Mokone says fully implementing devolution may be the solution to address the neglect.

“That's the reason why we are much concerned about the concept of devolution,” Makone says.

The provision for devolution is included in Chapter 12 of the 2013 Constitution, which outlines the establishment of provincial councils in each of the country's provinces in Section 268 of the charter.

Despite the government's approval of the principles of the Provincial Councils and Administration (Amendment) Bill, there is no enabling act to operationalize devolution to date.

“I don't think the situation will improve anytime soon because the government keeps on giving empty promises on the issue of additional schools. In fact, the ones that are there now are even dilapidated.”

While some parents rent accommodations near their children's schools to reduce the walking distance, not everyone can afford it, particularly the majority who are peasant farmers.

Students endure more than a 20 kilometre journey everyday to Mabheka secondary school risking their lives to criminal acts along the way. Image by Lynnia Ngwenya, March 2023


According to Ward 22 Councilor Edith Gumbo, commuting to school is financially burdensome for poor villagers.

“Hiking to Shangani Secondary costs US$1 a single trip, meaning one may need at least US$50 per month,” Gumbo says.

The Citizen Bulletin has reported about how communities in Lupane, Matabeleland North, united to overcome challenges related to remote schools.

According to Mokone, good results and good infrastructure are interwoven.

The Citizen Bulletin analyzed public data and found that for the past two years, the overall provincial pass rate for Ordinary level examinations in Matabeleland South has not exceeded 50%, which parents find concerning.

Matabeleland South recorded a pass rate of 28.16% in Ordinary level examinations in 2021, which slightly increased to 28.40% in 2022.

The districts with the lowest results were Bulilima, Gwanda, Insiza, Matobo, and Umzingwane.

According to Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director (PED) Beatrice Manjere, there is a pressing need for more schools in the province.
 
“There  is a need for more nearby schools,” Manjere says.

“There is a need for local leaders to pass resolutions through council meetings to achieve that.”


Manjere says she once met pupils from Mabheka Secondary School still walking along the Beitbridge-Gwanda road to their homes at around 7 pm.


Pretty Nleya*,  a pupil at Bezu Secondary in Bulilima says she and her peers walk 13 km from Mbila village to their school in Bezu.

“We leave home at 04:30 am and come back at 8 pm to 9 pm,” Nleya says.


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Taungana Ndoro, the Director of Advocacy and Communication in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, says the shortage of schools in Matabeleland South is part of a national crisis.

He says the ministry is working on gathering resources for infrastructure, and has already started construction in some places, with the goal of targeting the whole country.

“The ministry is implementing a blended learning strategy to address the issue of long-distance travel for children,” he adds.


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