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Mashonaland East Bureau

There will be no more lessons from tobacco barns for Guruuswa Secondary School learners after Hwedza Rural District Council completed two classroom blocks for the school.

The classroom blocks were constructed in Ward 4 using devolution funds and the School Improvement Grant.

Guruuswa Secondary had already boosted its enrolment and the completion of the classroom blocks would be a welcome development for both learners and staff.

Hwedza RDC officials recently visited the school to assess progress.

Plans are afoot to fence the entire school premises.

Ward 4 Councillor Sheila Mugabe thanked the community for uniting to construct the two blocks.

She said the community supplied labour and other resources such as sand and water.

“One of the blocks was built through the Schools Improvement Grant while the other one was built from devolution funds,” said Cllr Mugabe.

“My wish as a Councillor is to see these blocks painted and to have more blocks which include a computer and science laboratory.

“It is prudent for our learners here to have computer skills just like learners in schools from towns and cities.”

Cllr Mugabe said there was a need for staff houses at the school.

At the moment, a temporary shelter and ablution facilities have been built.

“I appeal to the Government for a solar system at the school so that when we get computers, our learners can easily use them and be connected,” said Cllr Mugabe.

Hwedza RDC social services officer Ms Patricia Tekede thanked President Mnangagwa for operationalising the devolution agenda, which now avails funds to local authorities.

“Learners no longer enjoyed attending lessons at the school because of the dilapidated structures they were using,” said Ms Tekede.

“However, thanks to Government funds, we have now built these classroom blocks and we are looking forward to building a clinic nearby.

“We should not leave no place and no one behind in terms of development.”

A parent with a child at Guruuswa Secondary School, Ms Nyamutsidza, thanked Government for providing funds that were channelled towards the construction of classroom blocks.

“Our children were using (tobacco) barns which are not safe at all. At times some bricks would fall in the middle of a lesson. “However, the Government heard our plight and now we have two classroom blocks for our children. What is left now is for our teachers to have decent accommodation and we appeal to the Government to intervene,” she said.

Another parent, Mr Philemon Tekere, said: “Our children are now safe. We are not worried anymore.

“We say thank you to our Government and our council. We expect more blocks here.”

Guruuswa Secondary learner, Simbarashe Shoko, said: “We had become used to learning from barns. The tobacco barns were cold and unsafe for us.

“Most of our colleagues ended up not coming to school. But now they are back because we have new classroom blocks which are safe. I want to thank our council and Government for the new classrooms.”

Form 4 learner, Christine Katiyo, also said she was happy with the new classroom blocks, which will shield them from rains that used to pound them during the time they used tobacco barns as classrooms.

For Shantel Godobo, another Form 4 learner, going to school has become enjoyable.