The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
MORE than 5 000 primary schools will this year do battle in a song that gives praises to President Mugabe and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora for introducing the new school curriculum in the National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) National Choral Music Competitions.
At the beginning of this year, the Government rolled out a new education curriculum which heralded a number of changes in children’s learning programme.
The song, titled Bumbiro Idzva Redzidzo (New Education Curriculum) was composed by one Albert Munyanyi and lyrics to the piece were done by Dr Daniel Madzanire and Fungisai Rwaendepi.
Lyrics to the song go, in part, “Bumbiro redzidzo rosusukidza m’bato wemaoko nazvose zvinopa nduramo munyika. Tinovatenda Baba vaMugabe nachiremba vaDokora navese vakashanda basa iri. (The new curriculum enhances technical and vocational skills as well as everything that brings uprightness to the country. We thank President Mugabe, Dr Dokora and everyone who helped in the crafting of the new curriculum”.
Naph national president Mrs Cynthia Khumalo said the idea behind the song was to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the new curriculum by both pupils and their teachers.
She said the song will be sung in Shona across the country.
Each year schools compete on a selected song which they sing in one language throughout the country.
“The song focuses on the beauty of the new curriculum. The lyrics to the song are part of advocacy around the new curriculum. What we want is for both teachers and their pupils to have full appreciation of the new education framework.
“The song celebrates the new curriculum, in essence,” she said.
Mrs Khumalo said the National Choral Music competitions, kicking off next term, will start from zonal, district, provincial up to national level.
Bulawayo will host this year’s national edition in November.
“The singing starts at zonal level, then district, provincial and national finals. There will be junior choirs, senior choirs and percussion bands participating.
“The national competitions will be held at the end of November in Bulawayo,” she said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango commended Naph for theming this year’s National Choral Music competitions song around the new curriculum.
She said the music competition, while it has been in existence for a long time, dove-tailed into the new education curriculum.
“The competitions have always been there, but they were seen as co-curricular. But when you look at the new curriculum and how broad it is, you will see that all these activities are actually part of the teaching and learning areas.
“These activities, including sport are no longer seasonal but part of children’s daily learning programme,” she said.
Dr Utete-Masango said this year’s music competitions will complement efforts by the Government to promote the new curriculum.
The new curriculum was introduced at targeted levels such as early childhood learning, Grades One and Three, and Forms One, Three and Five pupils.
A number of stakeholders have voiced their criticism of the new curriculum whose implementation they argue was rushed amidst inadequate consultation.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has dismissed the criticism as baseless and is adamant that everything has been going on well in the implantation of the new education framework.
See full lyrics to the song bellow . . .
Ndiyo Zimbabwe yovandudzwa mudzidzo iyo, yosimudzwa mufundo, ngatishande pamwe kutsigira bumbiro idzwa redzidzo.
Kusimudzira dzidzo yemhando,kuti vadzidzi vapiwe ruzivo runopa pundutso kwavari ramangwana rijeke munyika.
Bumbiro dzva redzidzo raumbwa kupangidza vadzidzi kuti vakoshese unhu hwavo sevana vevhu. Vazvisimudzire muupenyu nemumibato yemaoko avo.
Unhu ubuntu mwana weZimbabwe kusasarurana pachedu, chido nayo nyika yeZimbabwe ngaisimudzirwe tofamba nedonzvo reZim Asset.
Bumbiro redzidzo rosusukidza m’bato wemaoko nazvose zvinopa nduramo munyika.
Tinovatenda Baba vaMugabe nachiremba vaDokora navese vakashanda basa iri.
Rokuvandudza dzidzo yanyika. Ngatishande nesimba tikohwe muzvidzidzo tisusukidze uyu muono uyu tisimudzire nyika
@irielyan
