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Michael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
Kwekwe is set to have a state-of-the-art Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe (BSPZ) education resource centre, with construction expected to commence early next year.

The resource centre, which will cost about $1,5 million, is set to house the district education offices, a computer resource centre, a hall, board room for meetings, among other facilities.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is renting a house that has been subdivided into makeshift offices for education inspectors, hindering the smooth delivery of services.

In a speech read on his behalf by his Permanent Secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela during the ground breaking ceremony in Kwekwe on Saturday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima said the construction was in line with the requirements of the new education curriculum and the 21st century educational requirements.

“The centre is in line with the new education curriculum requirements as well as pedagogies of the 21st century,” she said.

“The BSPZ centre is expected to drive programmes that can make up better, offer computer skills for both teachers and learners in line with the education curriculum.”

Ms Thabela said the recently educational curriculum required competent staff and up to date facilities, adding that education should play its role in the vision 2030.

“We have rolled over from our content based to a competency based curriculum in an attempt to address the relevance of the education product we offer to our learners,” she said. “Education sector should also play its role in the quest to achieve the vision 2030 as initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Infrastructure development is a key component in the socio-economic development of the country just like education is a key component in achieving the vision.”

Kwekwe District schools inspector Mr Bernard Mazambani said the project was part of their 100-day projects in line with the Second Republic.

“Our district has been housed at different structures with different consequences there,” he said.

“We, therefore, took advantage of the Second Republic who introduced quick wins and we came up with our own quick win project in the form of the resource centre.”

Mr Mazambani said every pupil in the district will contribute a dollar every term towards the construction of the centre. Kwekwe District has 137 primary and 55 secondary schools with a total enrolment of 99 398.

The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has pledged to assist in the construction of the facility.

Commander 5 Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Simo Maseko said the organisation supported the notion of empowerment through education.

“We are profoundly humbled to be associated with the development of education which opens the minds of our citizens, allowing them to think widely and deeply,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Colonel Paul Ngadze.