The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka and Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Sunday News Reporters
THE Government is working on modalities to provide funding for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students at higher and tertiary education institutions in the country, a Cabinet Minister has revealed.
At present only STEM students doing Advanced level are receiving financial support from Government to pursue their studies. Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development, Professor Jonathan Moyo said tertiary and higher education institutions will be expected to come up with STEM policies and STEM scholarships in the 2017/2018 academic year. He was speaking at a graduation ceremony at Gweru Polytechnic on Friday where he was the guest of honour.
“The ministry has engaged the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to design a funding strategy for higher and tertiary education. The expectation is that we will come up with a loan scheme that will be dynamic and flexible to support STEM students at higher and tertiary education institutions. Every tertiary and higher education institution is expected to come up with a STEM policy and STEM scholarships to take effect from the 2017/2018 academic year,” he said.
Prof Moyo said the Government’s STEM thrust was to capacitate graduates with technological and engineering skills across all learning and professional fields in tertiary and higher education institutions as part of the industrialisation and modernisation drive.
He said higher and tertiary institutions were positioned to lead the industrialisation and modernisation agenda that was set by President Mugabe and should therefore take up the task.
“This is a great opportunity for higher and tertiary education institutions because they are by definition the natural leaders of the industrialisation and modernisation agenda. This is because industrialisation and modernisation are necessarily skills driven. The time has therefore come for the country`s teachers colleges, polytechnics, universities and research institutes to stand up and be counted by leading Zimbabwe`s industrialisation and modernisation,” he said.
Prof Moyo said his ministry was also engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as well with Scientific, Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) to come up with a road map of opportunities and pathways for STEM careers that are needed for Zimbabwe`s industrialisation and modernisation.
Prof Moyo also gave an update on plans to transform polytechnics into degree awarding institutions saying a steering committee has been set up to look work on the plan.
Prof Moyo lamented the fact that majority of lecturers at Polytechnics did not have teaching qualifications noting that a Diploma in Technical/Vocational Education was a requirement for all lecturers at Polytechnics and Industrial Training Colleges. He added that lecturers should also participate in industrial attachment in and outside the country in order to keep abreast with the technological changes taking place in industry.
“Lecturers should participate in industrial attachment in and outside the country.’’
A total of 714 students graduated at Gweru Polytechnic’s 27th graduation ceremony, of which 130 were technical and vocational education secondary school teachers and 584 technicians.
Minister Moyo also challenged graduates to make use of their engineering and technological solutions to attract investors and create jobs and stop demanding employment from politicians. He said President Mugabe, politicians and Government were there to make policies and laws that create an appropriate environment for investors and job creation but not to create jobs.
“There is no politician who can create jobs and there is no politician who has ever created jobs. Politicians only come up with necessary policies and laws that create the environment. This is what we are good at creating, the environment. The jobs are created by entrepreneurs and investors. Investors invest in innovative ideas and these ideas that they pursue come from engineers,” said Prof Moyo.
“It is these through engineering and technological solutions that create jobs. What President Mugabe has been doing as the leader and Head of State is to create an environment in our country. Yes it has been 36 years and in the life of an individual it is very long time but not in the life of a country.”
Prof Moyo said the Government, however, was giving priority attention to employment creation.
