Savious Madanhire & Tanaka Chare
As Zimbabwe prioritizes inclusive quality education to ensure that every learner has equal opportunities, the Midlands Province received vital assistive devices handed over to schools catering to learners with disabilities, empowering them to reach their full potential.
This significant development was marked by a handover ceremony graced by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Midlands Province Honourable Owen Ncube, who reiterated the government’s dedication to providing equal opportunities for all.
The Second Republic is seized with the empowerment of Zimbabweans through broad-based and people-centered inclusive policies,” said Minister Ncube.
392 tracing wheels, 18 wheelchairs, 10 tablets and keyboards, 88 science cylinders, 73 shovels, and 73 hoes were donated to enhance the learning experience for students with disabilities, enabling them to participate fully in educational activities.
Minister Ncube commended schools in the Midlands Province for constructing disability-friendly structures and also acknowledged the substantial support provided to special schools, including Mudavanhu Zimcare Trust and Jairos Jiri Naran Centre Primary and Secondary Schools.
“I therefore commend schools that have constructed disability-friendly structures such as rumps at classroom entrances and widened ablution facilities which enhance accessibility at these learning institutions.
Furthermore, the Second Republic continues to provide substantial support to Mudavanhu Zimcare Trust, Jairos Jiri Naran Centre Primary, Secondary Schools as well as 36 Resource Units for children with intellectual challenges, hearing and visual impairments in the province.
Minister Ncube emphasized the importance of inclusivity in education, citing the National Disability Policy launched by His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa in June 2021.
“In this regard, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Cde Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa launched the National Disability Policy in June 2021 to address issues of
marginalization and discrimination faced by persons with disabilities, empower them, and enable their full participation in national development in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“Accordingly, the New Dispensation is scaling up interventions towards the realization of aspirations of Persons with Disabilities as provided for in Section 22 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe which emphasizes the need to include disability at all levels in our development plans across all sectors such as education, health, agriculture, mining and manufacturing among others,” added Hon Ncube.
Meanwhile, In 2023, the New Dispensation availed assistive devices such as braille machines braille paper and folding canes to schools with Resource Units for learners with visual impairment.
In addition, an Audio logical Testing Laboratory was established at the Midlands Education Provincial Offices where all school-going children are tested for hearing impairments and psychometric testing by Psychologists.
Furthermore, the province has also benefited from the School Feeding Programme across the country with 858 Primary Schools in high-density suburbs and rural areas receiving mealie meals under the drought relief programme.
