The Sunday News
Mthabisi Tshuma recently in Mpofu village, Lupane
PRIMARY schools in Lupane district have turned to solar energy as a source of electrification in order to achieve the new competence-based curriculum, the district’s schools inspector Mr Lovemore Ncube has said.
The district has 110 primary schools and over 75 percent of the schools are now electrified with solar power. In recent years, the schools have been holed up in the darkness as there was no electricity while those who received electricity boost from the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) believe they were short-changed as the electricity supply did not last for over a year after the installation.
The electricity challenges in the district have stalled development to the schools academically.
Since 2014, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has been embarking on a comprehensive curriculum reform process which is meant to enhance the quality of education in Zimbabwe.
A new competence-based curriculum framework was developed and finalised in 2015 whose phased implementation commenced in 2017.
Several innovations were introduced in the new curriculum. The expansion in the capabilities of information and communication technologies and the emergence of an information-driven economy underpin the need for the development of new skills sets that enable citizens to live and work competitively in the global village.
The competence-based curriculum among other objectives seeks to prepare learners for life and work in an indigenised economy and increasingly globalised and competitive environment and to foster lifelong learning in line with the emerging opportunities and challenges of a knowledge society.
Speaking during a handover ceremony of a solar power system by Bulawayo-based renewable energy firm Glancier Investments (Private) Limited, Mr Ncube said as the education sector was now focusing on adapting to technology advancement electricity plays a critical role in achieving such.
The solar power donation came as World Vision had also donated through its Spain partners ProFuturo 48 phone tablets, a projector and a laptop to the school which is meant to equip the school with e-learning facilities. Mr Ncube said they were in the process of ensuring that every school in the district taps into solar power energy.
“Over 80 schools in the district already have solar power which we hope will go a long way in the teaching of our pupils, particularly the competence based curriculum. This will make sure we achieve as schools to teach subjects such as Mathematics and Science, Information and Communication Technology, Science and Technology, Foreign Languages among others,” said Mr Ncube.
Mr Ncube said the availability of adequate electricity also helps teachers to fully execute their duties as the environment will be friendly.
“It is our wish that the remaining 30 schools also have solar system power as it will also help teachers to use it for domestic use. The availability of electricity at the schools should also benefit the community and in this regards the non-formal students. They should come and research here as we want to create an educated future,” he said.
Handing over the solar system power that consisted of two 360W Canadian solar panels, 3kva investor, 4,8kWh lithium battery and lightning arrestors, Glancier Investments executive director Mr Milton Wurayayi urged the school and the community to use the gadgets wisely.
“I hope my gesture to donate such equipment will go a long way in making sure that the rural child taps into the global village through also the provision of such facilities as tablets by ProFuturo. For schools to develop and particularly those in the rural areas, there is a need for the corporate world to up their game and assist wherever they can,” said Mr Wurayayi.
World Vision Lupane District programmes manager Mrs Sibongumusa Ncube said the ProFuturo donation is an ongoing project which will benefit 109 schools in the district before the end of the year. – @mthabisi_mthire.
