The Sunday News
C. Colclough etal (1990), in their study titled, “Education Division Documents. No 50. Education in Zimbabwe Issues of Quantity and Quality,” reiterate that “the Rhodesian education system was consistent with, complementary to, and underpinned and sustained by the political aims and objectives of the white settler minority separate development and racial segregation.
The result was the establishment of a dual education system, one system for the Whites and Coloureds and the other for Africans — with completely different aims and purposes. The curricula were designed to prepare children for their predetermined status in life: that of employer/master for the white child; that of labourer/servant for the African child.
“Consequently, the few African children lucky to enter schools were permitted primary education, often incomplete though.
Secondary and higher levels of education were for a chosen few, those who would take up semi-skilled and unskilled jobs in the formal economy. African education was not free at any level, parents had to pay tuition and other types of fees. With regard to manpower training, the various colonial Governments administered this through acts of parliament: The Master and Servant Act (1889); the Industrial Conciliation Act (1934); the Apprenticeship Act (1959 and 1968) and the Vocational Education and Training Act (1978). The same dichotomous approach, as in education, was reflected in manpower training.
The system virtually excluded Africans until about 1974. Even as late as 1978, Africans made up only 25 percent of the total enrolment in technical colleges. In fact, colonial governments thwarted attempts by missionaries to introduce basic technical skills training courses for Africans.”
However, this was all to change when the country attained independence in 1980, with the new government led by President Mugabe setting in motion a new approach to education, tailor made to redress the inadequacies of the past regime so as to educate and empower the black majority. The new paradigm was premised on that education should be a tool for mass development.
“Soon after independence (in 1980) the Government of Zimbabwe embarked on the process of reforming the inherited education system and redressing the disparities and inequalities thereto. The Zanu-PF Government regarded and continues to regard education as a “fundamental human right, a basic right of every child of school going age and every adult outside the formal school.”
Statements and speeches by the President and Government ministers form the basis of current education policies which emphasise that education should be mass-based in order to serve the development needs of the masses. Education must emphasise unity and equality. The curriculum must give a scientific and technological bias. Non-formal education should equip the masses with the necessary skills.
It is behind such milestones in the education sector, which have made Zimbabwe an envy to the whole world that we applaud the move to set up a university named after President Mugabe, who has been a champion of the fight against colonialism, neo colonialism, and opening classroom doors for the black majority.
The President, an educationist himself, certainly deserves the honour, as alluded to by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo who said last week that Government has begun the process of setting up the Robert Mugabe University with the University of Zimbabwe expected to play a part in its establishment.
“It’s intended to be a smart university, technology you know, high end skills development, hardware engineering, software engineering but anyway what it is going to do and so forth is an open issue that is yet to be done,” he said.
