Laboratory crisis hits Mat’land region
MATABELELAND North and South Provinces are facing an acute shortage of Science laboratories, a situation reportedly hampering the successful implementation of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education initiative.
This is further worsened by the shortage of Mathematics and Science teachers with Government officials saying there was an urgent need for a dedicated programme to help construct laboratories in the province.
Matabeleland North provincial education director, Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni revealed that in the province just 14 schools out of a total of 188 have fully functioning labs with Binga district not having a single school with a lab.
She said in Nkayi district they were constructing their second lab.
“In Binga out of the 43 schools, none have any labs, in Bubi two out of 17 schools, Hwange three out of 33, Lupane; three out of 24, Tsholotsho; two out of 26, in Umguza we have three schools out of thirteen with laboratories while in Nkayi I would say we have one-and-a half because the other school has a laboratory which is still under construction.
“The Province had 154 learners registered to benefit from STEM. The figure may increase as enrolment into Lower Six is still on,” said Mrs Mnguni.
She said in terms of staffing the province required 11 320 but had 7 702, meaning they have a shortfall of 3 618 teachers.
“For ECD A-B we require 1 928 but we just have 123 on post to teach 38 566 pupils, for Grades One to Two, we have 1 317 teachers on post of which our required establishment is 1 456 to teach 58 247 learners.
“For Grades Three to Seven, we have an enrolment of 133 496 learners, who require 3 337 teachers but we have 3 309 in post, this representing a shortfall of 28 teachers. For Forms One and Two we have a total enrolment of 37 426 learners with 1 090 teachers against a required establishment of 1 134,” said Mrs Mnguni.
For Form Threes and Fours the PED revealed that they had a shortfall of just two teachers, for form five and six they required 20 teachers to address the shortfall.
“Our special class has a total enrolment of 3 075 learners with 93 teachers, of which we require 161 teachers. In our resource unit we have 16 teachers out of 22 to cater for the 158 learners. Our technical vocational primary classes is also one of the most affected as out of 1 214 required teachers we just have 14 to cater for the 121 388 learners.
“For the technical vocational secondary classes we have 87 036 learners who are being taught by 564 teachers of which we require 306 more. All in all we have a total enrolment of 513 944 that require 11 320 teachers, of which we have managed to fill 7 702 posts this meaning we have a shortfall of 3 618 teachers,” said the PED.
She said under-staffing within schools in the province especially smaller schools was negatively affecting the pass rate in the province, calling on an active approach from the government to address this problem and help boost the province’s overall performance.
“If you look at our pass rates per district, you will see that Umguza has been the best performing and the reason to this is its proximity to Bulawayo. Teachers would gladly teach in Umguza rather than in Binga hence the ever positive performance within the district,” she said.
Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director, Mrs Tumisang Thabela said while she did not have the statistics off the cuff, the situation in the province was also dire especially in rural schools which in the past had not offered natural sciences.
She said the implementation of the new curriculum was itself being affected because learners did not have the chance to go into a lab to further their skills.
“Yes, the ministry provided Science kits but it is really different from operating within a dedicated laboratory. We are now working with communities and various stakeholders in constructing more laboratories in the provinces especially for our rural schools which did not offer natural sciences in the past,” said Mrs Thabela.
Contacted for comment, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Dr Lazarus Dokora however, said every school had been provided with Science kits to help address shortages of laboratories.