Universal Primary Education(MDG NUMBER 2): Is the Zim government doing anything with regards to achieving this gaol

Our ministry of education, sports and Culture has really shown its genuine interest in achieving MDG number 2. The Ministry of Education, Sports, Art and Culture with support from the United Nations launched the Accelerated Action Plan (AAP) for MDG2 for Zimbabwe that aims at ensuring that by 2015, all Zimbabwean children—boys and girls alike—will be able to complete primary education. 

The plan, which was developed using the MDG Accelerated Framework (MAF) methodology, identified Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), School Feeding Programme, Second Chance Education and School Improvement Grants as selected focus areas of intervention. , School Feeding Programme, Second Chance Education and School Improvement Grants as selected focus areas of intervention. The methodology defined opportunities for scaling up the effectiveness of these interventions to meet the MDG targets by 2015.

During the launch of the Accelerated Action Plan for MDG2 report for Zimbabwe that was held on 29 May 2013, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sports, Art and Culture, Ms. Constance Chigwamba expressed the government’s full commitment to the plan.

Against the background of constrained resources, UNESCO suggested that government and education partners intensify their efforts to increase resources for programmes such as BEAM and ensure that teachers can be retained by improving their conditions of service and opportunities for professional development. Providing the same conditions for early childhood development programme as for primary schools is necessary. In addition, UNESCO urges building capacity of the planning department of the MESAC in respect of data processing and analysis.
Through these measures, Zimbabwe hopes to retain its pole position in sub-Saharan Africa in the area of universal primary education.

However, the government's failure to solve economic challenges facing the country, so the economic situation for the average Zimbabwean family has worsened during the past decade. This has had a direct nega­tive impact on their ability to send their children to school and pay for school fees and uniforms. Fewer children in rural areas attend school than do children in urban areas. The primary school dropout rate is also much higher in rural areas, which account for 78.9% of the total number of dropouts.

Primary children at school