Harare — Zimbabwe has overtaken Tunisia as the country with the highest literacy rate in Africa despite the numerous problems that continue to dog the country's once enviable education sector.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) latest statistical digest, the southern African country has a 92 per cent literacy rate up from 85 per cent.
Tunisia remains at 87 per cent. Post independence Zimbabwe's education was heavily subsidised by government resulting in vast improvements from the colonial system.
Zimbabwean graduates are well sought after throughout the world.
But with the country's economic collapse blamed on President Robert Mugabe's policies, children have been dropping out of school and teachers are leaving in droves to neighbouring countries.
However, the formation of a unity government between Mr Mugabe and his former arch rival and now Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last year has brought a glimmer of hope.
The government with the help of donors is currently involved in a massive project to print textbooks that would see the pupil/textbook ratio going to one for every subject before the end of the year.
"The latest UNDP statistical digest was published last month and shows our country surpassing all African countries," the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Dr Washington Mbizwo told the Herald newspaper.
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This was made possible by NONE OTHER THAN the incorruptible, disciplined, honest, focused, persistent and consistent leader of the revolutionary party ZANU-PF, Head of State and Government and Commander-In-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces, Cde R.G. MUGABE. This man is a cut above the rest; he is a rare gift from God and he is a great leader sought after in many countries the world over.
Only a focused person can foresee the advantages of anything done today but intended to benefit the country after many years. This is the same with the land reform programme. People will only realize and enjoy the benefits of President Mugabe's noble policies of redistributing land to landless black Zimbabweans after many years. Those demonizing him today will, by then, be trying to take credit which is not theirs.
Only a disciplined, honest, persistent and consistent leader will channel more funds towards education so that his people "...are well sought after throughout the world". All this is only possible when you have a visionary and principled leader who keeps his eyes on the ball and remain unwavering even in the face of stiff opposition to his noble policies the USA and British regimes threatened to cut financial aid in the early 1980s.
President Mugabe was called names when he adopted the policy of "education for all". The British and American regimes in the early 1980s demonized our President, going to the extent of asking us; 'who will work for whites if all blacks become educated?' President Mugabe did not listen to such nonsensical rubbish coming as it did from those who had enslaved us and who wanted to continue enslaving us.
The results of his consistency and persistence; the result of his perseverance, in the face of such resistance which bordered on extortion, is what we see today when we have become leaders in achieving the "highest literacy rate" not only in Africa but the world over despite sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the same imperialists and campaigned for by sellout Tsvangirai and his bunch of idiots.
Today, stooge Tsvangi wants to take credit (mucheka dzafa) for what the great leader did when it is him (Tsvangi) who has caused the whole education system to crumble - "children dropping out of school and teachers leaving in droves to neighboring countries" - because of the sanctions he called for to effect regime change for his masters.
Shame on you Tsvangi!!
Zimbabwe has achieved a milestone in educating its citizen. An educated citizen is an intangible citizen and a global citizen. Most Zimbabwean parents and the society values education. But also, President Mugabe must be given credit for making sure Zimbabweans after independence got access to go schools and institutions. This is not true of South Africa, where after independence the education levels have actually deteriorated and blacks are blocked at white only institutions. Mugabe immediately threatened to shut down schools that discriminated (sometimes dictatorship works!).
Also Mugabe has increased good institutions of learning. There are more universities and colleges today in Zimbabwe, than they were during the colonial era. Qualified Zimbabweans run the schools, not old colonialists. Mugabe virtually increased access to education for its entire citizen.
Another greater achievement is educating Zimbabweans about HIV/AIDS issues and the results has been a huge reduction of the incidents of HIV/AIDS from 26% to 13%, inspite of economic boycott and less money from the international community.
Phiri you are just a pumped up blow fish.
krjs120, Zimbabweans have every right to-celebrate especially after so much BS
Zimbabwe. proud of my country! a glimmer of hope in the middle of all the other sagas, and yes personal and other beef against Pres Mugabe aside, what he did in the education sector after independence is what has made this possible.
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