The Challenges And Opportunities Faced In Implementing (Plap) Performance Lag Programme In Makoni District Schools

Abstract

This study explored the challenges and opportunities of the Performance Lag Address Programme (PLAP) with special reference to primary schools in Makoni District, in Manicaland in Zimbabwe. Chapter one of this study, focuses on the problem and its setting. Issues discussed in this chapter include the background of the study, the statement of the problem, objectives and research questions of the study. It also discusses the significance of the study to various stakeholders in education and the assumptions upon which the study is grounded. In addition, this chapter also discusses the possible limitations that constrained the study and the delimitations of the boundary lines beyond which the study did not venture. Before winding off with a summary of the major issues raised, attention is also focused on the definitions of key terms, to create shared meanings on the salient issues that are raised in the study. 1.1 Background to the study Before the attainment of independence Zimbabwe had few schools for the majority. After attaining independence in 1980 there was a positive massive expansion in education. The literacy rate rose to 87 percent (Ndlovu, 2013). From 2006 to 2008 the country experienced economic challenges which led to the decline in educational gains (Nkoma, Mapfumo & Mashavira, 2013). The education system in Zimbabwe experienced regressed learning resulting in some schools having zero percent pass rate at both primary and secondary levels (Muzawazi and Nkoma, vii 2011). Zimbabwe at one time had the best education system in Africa, with the highest literacy rate in the continent (Kwenda, 2008). At the moment however, the country’s education system is reeling from the economic challenges of the decade ending 2008 (Muresherwa, Mupa & Hlupo, 2014). The performance of the Zimbabwean education system became stable from 1995 up to year 2000 (Makopa, 2011). The situation began to deteriorate from 2000 onwards after the agrarian reform programme was introduced. The programme focused on reallocating the former white commercial farmers owned commercial lands to the indigenous people. The ensuing socio-political milieu did not go down well with some western countries who later applied targeted sanctions on political figures in Zimbabwe as a measure to limit trading linkages and support from those developed nations (Nkoma, 2014). In Zimbabwe, Performance Lag Address Programme (PLAP) was introduced as a response to the problems the Ministry of Education faced due to the collapse of the system between 2006 and 2009. The country faced political and socio-economic challenges as well as insufficient funding which made schools losing learning time in part of 2006, the entirety of 2007 and 2008, as well as segments of 2009’s academic years (UNICEF report, 2011). The (UNICEF 2011)report states that 94 percent of all rural schools were closed by 2009, with pupil attendance plunging from over 80 percent to 20 percent. The (UNICEF 2011)report also he found that over 3 million children skipped fundamental steps of learning without the opportunity to retake years, pupils were simply pushed to higher forms regardless of their mastery of previous levels (Muzawazi and Nkoma, 2011).