Dorset Community Applauds MP Mhuri for Intervention on ECD Closures

By Dumisani Ndlovu

Shurugwi – Parents and educators in Dorset ward 21, Shurugwi South, have welcomed the intervention of Member of Parliament, Hon. Wilson Mhuri, whose engagement with education authorities halted the immediate closure of unregistered Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, easing anxiety among affected families.

The situation arose after Dorset Primary School head teacher, Loice Gumbo, influenced the closure of unregistered ECD centres, citing her lack of mandate to supervise or recommend them.

In a message circulated in one of the parents' social media platform, WhatsApp, Gumbo announced the closure of Mlanke ECD Centre and advised parents to enrol their children at registered institutions, warning that unregistered schools were bogus and that learners would be required to restart their ECD level.

The announcement triggered concern among parents in ward 21, where many children attend community-based ECD centres due to long walking distances to established primary schools.

Following appeals from parents and local educators, Hon. Mhuri engaged the District Primary and Secondary Education office in Shurugwi and consulted District Education Inspector Simoli Makwati.

The inspector clarified that government had extended the grace period for the regularisation of unregistered ECD centres to June 2026, in line with a policy position announced by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerai Moyo.

Makwati confirmed that all ECD centres were permitted to continue operating until June 2026 while working towards full compliance with registration requirements.

In a message to constituents, Mhuri said his intervention was intended to protect children’s right to education while ensuring government standards are ultimately met.

“Our children will continue learning as stakeholders work together to regularise these institutions.

By June 2026, all centres must comply with the required standards,” he said.

Parents in the area praised the MP’s action, describing it as timely and sensitive to local conditions.

“Hon. Mhuri listened and acted. Our children can now continue learning while we work on improving standards,” said a parent from Mlanke.

Mhuri said primary schools should play a supportive role in improving ECD standards rather than acting in isolation.

“Primary schools should help us to achieve good standards. They should be part of the team so that we work together,” he said.

He noted that the establishment of ECD centres in many rural communities was largely driven by long distances between villages and formal schools, making it difficult for young children to walk daily.

“Small children cannot walk long distances. That is why these ECD centres exist. What is needed now is improving standards, including infrastructure, learning materials and the people teaching,” Mhuri said.

He added that progress would only be achieved through cooperation among parents, educators, school authorities and government officials.

The MP said the approach aligns with the National Development Strategy 2 and Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, which prioritise equitable access to quality education.

While the immediate threat of closure has been lifted, education authorities have reiterated that all ECD centres must be fully compliant by June 2026, after which enforcement measures will be implemented.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education plans to decentralise the registration of schools, allowing provincial offices to handle the process in a bid to address the growing number of unregistered institutions operating illegally across the country.

Minister Torerai Moyo said the move is aimed at ensuring that private school operators fully comply with national education standards while supporting the government's efforts to bridge the national school deficit, currently estimated at 1,900 to 2,000 schools.

Responding to questions in the Senate in November 2025, Minister Moyo said private schools are necessary to cover the schools shortage gap.

"The major challenge is that some of these schools are not registered and are operating illegally. However, private schools are necessary because, as a country, we have a shortage of schools.

"So we are encouraging individuals who want to operate schools to do so, but they must do so within the confines of the law.

"As Government, we are working on ensuring that we decentralise the registration of schools from the head office to provincial offices," he said.

The government initially set 31 December 2025 as the final deadline for closure of all unregistered schools that fail to regularise their operations in accordance with national education regulations.

This policy is expected to improve oversight, enhance education quality, and ensure equitable access to learning facilities nationwide.