Date: 16 April 2012
BPRA to hold Education Conference
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) will on Saturday 21 April 2012 hold an Education and Development Conference in an effort to contribute to the resuscitation of the education sector in not only Bulawayo, but the Matabeleland region at large which has faced numerous problems since the country attained independence. The conference, to be held at the Large City Hall from 0930hrs to 1630hrs, will run under the theme “Revitalising the Education Sector for Sustainable Development in Matabeleland.”
BPRA believes that the education crisis in Matabeleland should be tackled as a matter of urgency as it presents a vicious cycle as low education levels in the region perpetuate under-development in the region, which in turn means that education facilities in the region are inadequate. The conference will bring together various stakeholders including the residents of Bulawayo, teachers’ associations, headmasters and school development associations, representatives from the Bulawayo Provincial Education Department, educationists, the corporate world, civic society and representatives from the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture to discuss pertinent issues with regards to education in Matabeleland region.
At the conference, Dr Samukele Hadebe is expected to present on the “State of Education in Matabeleland,” while Mr Davies Luthe will present on “Social Protection in Education.” Ms Sibonokuhle Ndlovu will present on “The Effects of Incentives on Education” and Ms Barbara Bhebhe will present on “Opportunities for Stakeholder Cooperation and Participation” in the education sector. Discussants during the day will include historian Mr Phathisa Nyathi, Mr Vusumuzi Mahlangu, Dr Cornelias Ncube and a representative from Capernaum Trust, a Christian organisation that assists vulnerable children through education sponsorship.
The conference is a response to numerous concerns that the residents of Bulawayo have raised about the education sector at consultative meetings and training workshops organised by BPRA. Residents have expressed dismay with the shortage of schools in Matabeleland, the shortage of qualified personnel at schools, the issue of incentives, the lackadaisical approach to work by teachers and the failure by the government to adequately cater for the educational needs of vulnerable children in society such as orphans and children from poor families.
The conference will thus provide a platform for all these issues to be discussed and a way forward mapped out on how education can be resuscitated in the Matabeleland region as it is important in promoting development in the region.
Signed
Mr Rodrick Fayayo
Coordinator
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)
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