The Education Transition Fund (ETF) came about in 2009 to address the dire needs of the country’s education system, which has suffered teacher shortages, a pupil-to-textbook ratio of 10-to-1, and high drop-out rates.
In a short space of time, the ETF has helped to stabilise the country’s education system. Now partners are implementing a long term plan focusing on broader investments in schools to ensure a quality education for all children, especially the most vulnerable. Peter Salama, UNICEF Zimbabwe Representative explains, “Due to the success of phase one of ETF all of our partners, the ministry of education, donors, UN and civil society partners have said we can’t stop there and move further than that now and into phase two looking at a more sophisticated and complex intervention in ETF.” But this will not be easy. Jorge Pereiro Pinon First Secretary, Head of Health and Social Sector of the EU in Zimbabwe says, “It will be more challenging. Everything that is more structural is more challenging, but it’s on a very good basis so we are sure it will work as good as the first phase.”
In Zimbabwe, the Education Transition Fund is rewriting Zimbabwe’s education system from UNICEF: Back on Track on Vimeo.
