The Sunday News
According to the Global Peace Foundation, “Transforming education is a process of refocusing learning priorities towards developing the character competencies and future workforce skills that are in high demand by employers and towards preparing students to make a positive impact on their world. Students learn digital technologies, explore entrepreneurial enterprises, develop real-world problem-solving skills, and build core values of leadership and integrity. During these sessions, educators and thought leaders analyse new trends, ideas, policies, and innovations to prepare students to be successful in all aspects of their lives and contribute to creating flourishing societies and peace.”
The Government has in recent years been transforming the education sector in the country so that the sector produces products that are ready to meet the demands of the outside world as problem solvers, job creators, and not job seekers. That is the essence of Education 5.0 that is being pursued at higher and tertiary levels.
To further improve learning processes, the Cabinet last week received and approved the Zimbabwe Heritage-Based Education 2024- 2030, which was presented by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Honourable Prof Amon Murwira, as the Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Human Capital Development, Skills Development and Application.
The Heritage-Based Education 2024-2030 Curriculum Framework is expected to transform the education system in order to produce citizens with relevant skills, applied knowledge, values, and dispositions that are key to national development, beginning with the communities they serve.
“The Primary and Secondary Education system is being designed to mould productive learners who will cherish and practise the Zimbabwean philosophical orientation of Unhu/Ubuntu. The proposed curriculum will embrace heritage as a basis for learning and infusing technology, and shall be implemented from Early Childhood Development (ECD) up to Upper Secondary School level. The pathways, whose learning areas are provided for in the framework, are Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Visual and Performing Arts; Humanities, especially the history of Zimbabwe; Technical/ Vocational Education and Training (TVET); and Commercials. Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the Heritage-Based Education will be anchored on the following pillars: (a) programmes/ learning areas infrastructure; (b) staffing infrastructure; (c) physical and digital infrastructure; (d) legal and regulatory infrastructure; and (e) financial infrastructure. Pertinent issues in the learning programmes infrastructure include rationalisation of learning areas; and strengthening the School-Based Continuous Assessment,” said the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere in a post-cabinet briefing.
The Government noted that the future of the country will increasingly be shaped by science and technology, hence the bias in the education system to foster critical thinking, innovation, creativity, problem-solving, and programming.
“Suitable and appropriate physical and digital infrastructure will be provided. Closely related will be the provision of adequate and appropriate infrastructure including classrooms; workshops; laboratories; internet connectivity; technical equipment and teachers’ houses; in order to achieve the intended goals.
“The workshops and laboratories shall be tailor-made according to the unique geographical needs and locally available resources which learners can observe, manipulate and explore during their learning processes.
“Access to electricity, either from the national grid or renewable sources of energy will be a priority for every school. This is in order to bridge the gap between the rural and urban schools.
“The focus will be more on learning by doing. In order to actualise the aims of our education system, a review of the legal and regulations infrastructure will be undertaken.”
We believe the changes in the education system are just what the doctor ordered, and will help the country produce graduates that will be useful to the needs and aspirations of the nation.
