Wither our education system

10 May, 2015 - 00:05 0 Views
Wither our education system

The Sunday Mail

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EDUCATIONThe proposed introduction of industrial attachment for outgoing Ordinary Level students is not in line with the actual recommendations of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Education and Training Report (CIET), renowned educationist and author of the report, Professor Caiphus Nziramasanga has said.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education through its Permanent Secretary, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango, last week announced that it had come up with a draft curriculum framework which proposes — among other changes — the introduction of industrial attachment for “O” Level pupils.

According to last week’s Sunday Mail Dr Utete-Masango said the move was in line with CIET recommendations and was aimed at developing life and leadership skills in students.

“After writing examinations students will be required to be attached to institutions in their communities where they will be providing services,” Dr Utete-Masango was quoted as saying.

“The student will be required to undertake a project at the institution where they will be attached. Upon completing the project their supervisor will write a report on the student’s performance. This will help students in developing life skills, leadership skills and be team players.”

Professor Nziramasanga, however, says although the report recommends sending students to attachment, the manner in which the ministry intends to do it was never recommended and is wrong.

He said the report recommended industrial attachment for students as a continuous learning process which starts right from primary level and not at the completion of “O” Levels.

Prof Nziramasanga said this is a system which is easy to manage as students will be visiting various sectors of the economy to learn various skills for certain periods of time.

As he was out of office, he could not immediately cite the proper section in the Nziramasanga report, which relates to industrial attachment.

“That students should go for industrial attachment when they complete their “O” Level course is certainly not what the report recommended,” he said.

“The report recommended that students, right from primary level, should — as part of their learning process — be sent on attachment in various sectors of the economy so that they can learn multiple skills.

“Our idea is that students should not be selected to specialise in certain skills, they should learn all the skills so that when they eventually leave school they are people with many skills and can easily start something.”

Prof Nziramasanga said there is a possibility that internship is being confused for industrial attachment adding that by selecting students to specialise in certain skills, Government will be going back to the colonial bottleneck system which was selective.

“There is a danger that people are confusing internship for industrial attachment here, with internship you go to specialise in the area that you have been trained while for attachment you go to learn in any field. Selecting students to learn specific skills will be going back to the colonial bottleneck system.

“What we recommended is the production of a multi-talented student who when he or she fails to make it in one area he or she can simply find something else to do in the other.”

Professor Nziramasanga, however, said he has not yet seen the official draft curriculum framework report adding that he will come up with an official position which he will communicate to Cabinet after going through the draft.

“I’m yet to receive their report but I will request it so that I can come up with an official position before the draft goes to Cabinet.”

Some observers say Professor Nziramasanga’s idea is practical and manageable.

They say sending students on industrial attachment to learn and watch even during school learning periods helps them grasp various skills without having to go through the hectic process of assessment.

People who share this view say having thousands of “O” Level students going on industrial attachment all at the same time could be too complex given the vast resources required to sustain such a system.

There are about 3 000 secondary schools in Zimbabwe and finding attachment placements for all “O” Level students coming from these institutions may prove hectic especially as the industry is not growing at an equal rate.

However, there are those who believe Prof Nziramasanga’s proposal is even more complex than what the ministry is proposing.

Some analysts say the system is hard to manage at primary level than at secondary level.

Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister, Professor Paul Mavima, however, insisted that the introduction of attachment for students is a life skills orientation programme which aims to produce talented human beings.

He said it will become a requirement for “O” Level students to go on attachment before they are considered to have finished the course.

“It is a life skills orientation programme whereby students go to attachment in various economic sectors. We believe it is another step in the direction of making our education system more practical,” he said.

“Going for industrial attachment will become part and parcel of the completion of the “O” Level course.”

Asked how the ministry will manage such a complex system, he said: “At the moment we are still working on modalities of the system, as soon as that is done then we will move on to the next stage.”

Educationist and director of Education Coalition Zimbabwe, Mr Maxwell Rafomoyo, supported the idea of introducing industrial attachment for “O” Level students saying it will be a good development which will nurture students into business people at a young age.

“The motive is right because the system will give students the much-needed experience, be it in advancing their studies or seeking employment. I think it inculcates entrepreneurial values in students as they will be learning on practical terms,” he said.

“The ministry, however, has to come up with a modus operandi of how this will work. There are a lot of modalities that have to be considered.”

The introduction of attachment for “O” Level students will add to many policy reforms being done in the primary and secondary education sector.

Observers have, however, raised questions about the pace at which the reforms are being carried out.

Some critics have even blamed Education Minister, Dr Lazarus Dokora, for rushing the changes despite the fact that most of them are in line with the recommendations of the CIET.

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