Dokora threatens teachers over book piracy
By Own Correspondent
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora on Wednesday threatened stiff action against book pirates in the education sector.
Dokora was officially opening this year’s edition of the annual literary Zimbabwe International Book Fair (Zibfa) exhibition at its ceremonial home, Harare Gardens.
The literary extravaganza will be running under the theme Igniting Interest in Reading for Sustainable Development until July 30.
Addressing guests who included both local and international authors and publishers, Dokora said the government does not tolerate book piracy in schools which he said was equal to abuse of public funds.
“The untoward thing about piracy is that it has become second nature in the education system. School authorities will be charged within the ministry if found pirating books. The permanent secretary will send a circular to all schools reminding them of the risk of book piracy,” Dokora said.
“As the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, it is pleasing to note that we have an effective qualitative and efficient production and distribution system of educational books in Zimbabwe.
“It is my hope that the book exhibitions are done in other major cities so as to allow more people to be exposed and to interact with the variety of books offered by publishers and book shops.”
He said it was government’s hope that publishers would be able to publish in the officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe that include Khoisan, Nambya, Xhosa, Shona, Ndau and Tonga for the new curriculum starting next year.
In the same address, Dokora said there was need to resolve the issue of connectivity for E-learning adding that three companies have been demonstrating their proof of concept.
“The connectivity solution must not weigh down schools in unsustainable costs, it must be efficient and it must be a solution that allows ministry full control over its direct private work,” he said.
“Every school should take an initiative to support its activities in ning (ICTs) alongside government interventions which you will see more frequently in the next few months. We also have partner support which rights out our ICT policy in education, but that will become more visible in 2017.”
