The Sunday News
THE dilemma that schools in Matabeleland continue to find themselves in with regards to the teaching of Science subjects needs a quick solution and that solution is for here and now.
Some might think the issue needs no discussion as it is an old topic that has been said over and over again. While we might agree with that view we find ourselves alarmed by a story which we carry in today’s edition where it is reported that of the 1 500 Maths and Science teachers required countrywide more that 60 percent of this figure pertains to the Matabeleland region.
According to senior education officers, in Matabeleland North many schools that were granted A-level status were failing to offer Sciences because there are no teachers to teach Pure Sciences like Physics and Chemistry.
In Bulawayo it is said only Mpopoma and Founders out of 48 high schools have the required laboratories for A-level. In Matabeleland South where there are 56 high schools and 150 secondary schools there are just under 10 schools with A-level laboratories.
Confirming the developments, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora said they were working on rectifying the problem by employing more teachers and slowly ridding the system of unqualified teachers.
“It is no secret that the country requires over 1 500 Science and Mathematics teachers for these subjects. The posts are vacant and we want to fill these posts. It is unfortunate, however, that a bulk of this figure, close to 60 percent, is required in the Matabeleland region.
“However, as a ministry we are working to reduce this figure. In most cases you find that we have to employ temporary teachers to cover up at schools where there won’t be any qualified teacher at all, which is not fair to the learner because although these will be qualified in their respective fields they are not qualified as teachers,” said Minister Dokora.
He said one of the reasons the Government was embarking on an audit of the profession was to come up with the exact figures of unqualified teachers in the system.
With such a scenario we believe it is the duty of everybody not the Government alone to see to it that children in Matabeleland are also taught these crucial subjects and that institutions invest in laboratories. The schools mentioned above to have up to standard Science laboratories, Mpopoma and Founders high schools are Government institutions. This leaves us with questions as to what is happening to church schools. Are the churches not investing in their schools located in the Matabeleland region?
We are tempted to believe that missionary schools in Matabeleland have been neglected by their mother churches as evidenced by the pass rate that is recorded for instance by Catholic, Anglican schools situated outside Matabeleland compared to those found in this part of the country. Many schools in Matabeleland are finding themselves having to play catch-up compared to their sister schools found in other provinces.
However, while we do not want to blame anyone for the unfortunate situation children in this part of the country find themselves in, we want to take this opportunity to remind everyone who is a stakeholder in the education sector that today’s world needs people with Science qualifications at the highest level as Science is obviously important for the economic well-being of citizens.
Failure to adequately teach Science subjects will lead to lack of interest in those subjects by the people who are supposed to benefit. Already there is a noticeable decrease in the number of students coming from Bulawayo and its surroundings when it comes to enrolment at universities such as Nust.
The other issue is the quality of grades recorded at local schools when it comes to Science subjects. They are very disappointing. We want to re-emphasise that Science education is necessary because if the population is scientifically illiterate; such a situation aggravates inequity and also excludes the affected group from true participation in many spheres of life.
