The Chinese government on Saturday handed over to Zimbabwe a rural primary school as donation on the eve of the International Children's Day which falls on next Wednesday this year.

The school, located in Lupane area of the Matabeleland North province, consists of ten classrooms, one computer lab and staff offices, as well as a 300-metre perimeter athletic track, a football pitch, and a basketball court, with a cost of 1.5 million U.S. dollars covered by a Chinese government grant, according to the constructor Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Co., Ltd.(AFECC).

Lazarus Dokora, Zimbabwe's minister of primary and secondary education, said at Saturday's hand-over ceremony that the Chinese have shown that they are an all-weather friend by joining hands with the government of Zimbabwe in making a dream come true.

He said education remains a bedrock of Zimbabwe's socio-economic development as a nation and the government is making all efforts to address issues of the shortage of education infrastructure in this country.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Huang Ping, on his part, pledged to continue to help Zimbabwe carry forward its education traditions, which is manifested in the maintaining of a over 90-percent literacy rate, among the highest in Africa.

He said Chinese enterprises have been active in fulfilling their social responsibilities, one of which is shown in the construction of rural schools.

The AFECC had completed a number of government grant projects in Zimbabwe, including the construction of Amai Grace Mugabe Junior School in Mazowe, a few years ago. At least two rural primary schools built by the Chinese were commissioned this year, one located in Bindura and the other on the outskirts of the national capital Harare.