…use bricks as chairs, laps as desks
Brighton Chiseva
MWENEZI – One will be forgiven for imagining a school with state-of-the-art facilities when hearing the name Turf Primary School which is located in ward 15 of Mwenezi District, about 52 kilometres due East from Masvingo – Beitbridge road but getting on the ground will show you the total opposite.
Having been established in 2003, just after the chaotic land reform programme which saw people flocking to white owned farms in Mwenezi and Chiredzi districts, Nyangambe Turf Primary School has never seen any meaningful development, with pupils still learning under trees with no chairs nor desks.
Pupils from grade one to six endure the scotching summer sun under leafless trees which shed their leaves during winter, using mud bricks as chairs and their laps as desks.
There is no better season for the pupils as they have to endure June and July’s colds, the sun in summer and rains in the wet season.
The school only started showing signs of development in 2020 when the first classroom block opened doors to Early Childhood Development (ECD) level A and B as well and grade sevens, leaving the rest under trees after a story by TellZim News which saw Unicef providing roofing material after parents moulded bricks and contributed money for roof trusses and other material requirements.
Turf Primary School has an enrolment of more than 311 pupils; 150 boys and 161 girls, who in most cases will not go to secondary school after completing grade seven owing to the distance between the area and the nearest secondary school which is 80 kilometres from Turf.
Speaking during a tour by Minister of State in the President’s office responsible for monitoring the implementation of government programme Joram Gumbo, the school heard Bernad Chauke said the school has a plethora of challenges which many would find difficult to believe in this era.
The only two blocks at the school are not fully functional, with the only one being used since 2020 and the second one will be open for use soon if funds permit for its completion.
“During rains, all our pupils will be crowded in the available class, a situation that is difficult for us to deliver lessons. During sunny days pupils are exposed to the harsh summer sun under trees since each class was allocated its tree to do lessons under,” said Chauke.
Chauke went on to say pupils at the school were far behind in terms of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) since the school has no single computer or any source of electricity even if they are to have a computer anytime soon.
“Our pupils do not even know a computer; we don’t have any computer at the school let alone electricity. During lessons, we just show them pictures of computers and in some cases if one of the staff members has a tablet we will show them and that will be the closest thing to a computer they will know,” said Chauke.
Connectivity is another challenge, a development which has seen the school taking time to access communication from the district offices and other stakeholders.
He went on to say they have no security at the school as there is no fence or perimeter wall, a development which has seen both wild and domestic animals frequenting the school premises .
Chauke also said the area had no health facility with the nearest being Mwenezi District Hospital which is more than 100km away.
“There is no health facility near here so it’s difficult to deal with any health emergency at school and even the community around.
“There is no transport to connect us to the main road though the road is in good good shape. We appeal to authorities to avail even a single Zupco bus here so that we can link with other areas when we need services,” he said.
The school has no staffroom and for meetings teachers gather under a thatch shade, a place where they can also connect to the network.
