A group of learners at Watershed College in Marondera, Mashonaland East province, have grabbed the headlines for its selflessness after channelling its pocket money towards the construction of a classroom block for pupils at Bromley Primary School.
The learners, who are part of the Lions International Club, a humanitarian organisation, have taken it upon themselves to build additional classrooms for the school after being moved by the state of affairs at the school where two grades share one classroom.
According to Leo Moffat Vuta, the president of District 412A which incorporates Zimbabwe and Botswana, the Watershed Leos used to donate stationery to Bromley Primary School, but later realised that the learners needed a decent learning environment.
“The students had a challenge of having two different grades sharing one classroom. So, for example, Grade 3 and Grade 5 will be learning simultaneously in the same classroom. As such, they made it their mission to add two additional classrooms.”
The project is currently 65% complete and is pencilled for completion next year.
This unprecedented feat by Watershed learners must leave government officials with egg on the face.
In fact, such acts of selflessness have poked holes into the “leaving no one and no place behind” mantra, the famous hymn sung by government officials everytime they want to show to all and sundry that they care for the common man.
Had it not been for some Watershed learners, government’s dereliction of duty would have gone unnoticed.
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It is the government’s duty to build schools for its citizens so that they have access to education as prescribed by the Education Act.
Section 4(1) of the Education Act stipulates that every child in Zimbabwe shall have the right to school education. The same legislation states that no child shall be refused admission to any school; or be discriminated against by the imposition of onerous terms and conditions regarding his or her admission to any school on the grounds of his race, tribe, place of origin, nationality or ethnic origin, political opinion, colour, creed or gender.
The country has a shortage of schools, with Primary and Secondary Education minister Torerayi Moyo telling Parliament last year that there is a deficit of 2 800 schools.
If government cannot build schools, it has to put in place a conducive environment for those with money to invest in education.
Government has failed on that front and it took the sacrifice of Watershed’s learners to spotlight the neglect.
The absence of conducive learning facilities has been blamed for the low pass rate at rural schools.
How can one classroom have two classes 44 years after independence? It means learners will not concentrate as there are distractions.
It won’t be a surprise to see government officials scranbling to be guest of honour when the classrooms are handed over to Bromley Primary School next year.
They will extol the virtues of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leaving no one and no place behind mantra.
To the officials, success has many parents and failure is an orphan.
It is clear that bureaucrats are in deep slumber and can only be awakened by the ED2030 slogan.
