The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
ZIMBABWE’S adult literacy level has risen to 94 percent from 90.9 according to the recently launched Zimbabwe National Skills Audit Report, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira has said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the official launch of the science and mathematics secondary teachers training programme in Gweru Wednesday, Prof Murwira said the skills audit conducted by the ministry has revealed that the country’s adult literacy level has risen to 94 percent.
He said the report had also revealed that the country’s skills level was at 38 percent.
“We have already assessed the skills. For instance we established that Zimbabwe’s literacy level is at 94 percent and our skills level is at 38 percent. We are regarded as the most literate African nation but are skills are low. Knowledge we have it but we have no skills so we need to close the skills gap. We don’t want to continue talking because it will never move this country forward. We need action, action and action.
The audit document was launched by the President on Tuesday,” he said.
According to the African Economist Magazine, Zimbabwe’s literacy level was at 90.9 percent in 2013.
Prof Murwira said Government was reconfiguring and reorienting the higher and tertiary education system where the ministry will get rid of the irrelevant skills that were no longer useful.
“What we have done so far is to reorient and reconfigure the higher and tertiary education system through making sure that we have a skills audit which tells us which skills do we have what skills do we have that are no longer useful and those that we have that are useful for the future. This helps us to have a human resources development plan that makes it possible for Zimbabwe to modernise and industrialise.
“We have reconfigured the system by putting in place the national qualification framework where our qualifications are transparent within themselves and therefore they can be trusted outside the country. This is done through the national qualification framework,” he said.
Prof Murwira said the ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development was laying a solid foundation for the accomplishment of the 2030 vision to make Zimbabwe a middle income economy with per capita income of $ 3 500.
“The President enunciated the vision on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe so it is our vision together. This ministry of Higher and tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development is the human resources ministry. We want people that can drive the industry and formulate new industries so this ministry is everything in terms of driving vision 2030,” he said.
