Capping subjects for O and A Level learners makes sense

SCHOOLS opened last week for the first term of 2025, with the Government launching the new heritage-based curriculum. The revised curriculum aims to equip learners with skills, values and attitudes essential for life and work by integrating a strong scientific and technological focus, aligning with the Government’s skills development strategy. The Sunday Mail’s DEBRA MATABVU interviewed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education MR MOSES MHIKE on key aspects of the initiative.

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Q: In 2023, the ministry established rapid response centres to deal with malpractices by some school authorities. Can you outline the functions and purposes of the centres and how they have helped curb the malpractices?

A: The ministry has established command centres at district, provincial and head office levels to facilitate rapid feedback on educational concerns nationwide.

These centres are designed to enhance communication with stakeholders and address issues promptly. We are pleased to report that these centres have been effective in bringing various concerns to our attention.

We encourage stakeholders to reach out to our district, provincial or head office with any issues they may have. As a ministry, we are grateful that many issues were brought to our attention.

Q: The Government indicated that it will close all unlicensed schools and colleges in an effort to bring back order to the education sector. Can you outline how much progress you have made in this regard?

A: The ministry maintains a strict policy against unlicensed schools. We are actively identifying institutions operating without the necessary registration, many of which may be functioning in private residences or informal settings.  Our goal is to ensure that all educational institutions comply with legal standards, and we are currently assessing the scope of unregistered schools in the country.

Q: In 2015, the Government introduced a new curriculum, with the first cycle running from 2015 to 2022. Your ministry then reviewed that cycle in 2023. May you briefly outline the results of that review?

A: In 2023, we conducted a thorough review of the 2015-2022 curriculum cycle.

This review focused on aligning our educational offerings with the needs of Zimbabwean learners. We have restructured our learning areas to emphasise indigenous knowledge and the Unhu/Ubuntu philosophy, ensuring that our education system reflects our cultural values.

While we faced some challenges due to limited time for syllabus development, we are proud to say that we met our objectives.

We have reconfigured our learning areas to suit our learners and our systems.

We wanted, at the end of the day, to come up with the kind of education that speaks to the Zimbabwean child.

The heritage-based curriculum (HBC) is about the indigenous knowledge system.

It is about us as Zimbabweans, our resources, our Unhu/Ubuntu philosophy. The idea was to reduce the learning areas in a bid to come up with relevant and quality education.

For this reason, our objectives were met.

We had very limited time to work on our syllabi.  However, I am happy that we managed to achieve what we set out to achieve.

Q: The Government has successfully rolled out the heritage-based curriculum this term. What are the major features of this new curriculum cycle and how does it differ from the previous one?

A: The ministry has launched the heritage-based curriculum, which builds on the previous framework.

This new curriculum emphasises a more relevant educational experience for Zimbabweans, integrating indigenous values.

Key changes include a reduction in learning areas by combining subjects with similar content, which will simplify the educational experience.  A narrative report, the framework and syllabi have been developed and will be shared with the public soon.

We are currently in the rollout phase and anticipate addressing any challenges as they arise. The heritage-based curriculum has significantly impacted learners through the introduction of a two-pathway system, allowing individuals to choose their educational path based on their abilities and interests.

This personalised approach fosters greater engagement and motivation among learners.

The HBC accommodates a two-route progression system for all learners.

Route one is for learners who choose to progress to A-Level, then pursue tertiary education.  Route two is for learners who choose to follow the Zimbabwe National Qualifications Framework’s skills pathway.

The learners do vocational courses whilst at school and are trade-tested at National Foundation Certificate and National Certificate levels; these are equivalent to O and A levels, respectively.

The learners can then enrol in polytechnics, industrial training colleges, vocational training colleges, agricultural colleges and other training institutions for further skills development courses for certification or just to acquire skills.

The review was aligned to the human capital needs of the industry, as well as exploitation of our natural resources.

Also, skills development and creation of a fit-for-purpose human capital is in sync with the needs of the 21st century.

Q: Which new learning areas have been introduced in this cycle?

A: The updated curriculum introduces several new learning areas that were not present in the previous cycle, responding to public feedback.

In addition to core subjects like Mathematics and English, we now have Science and Technology (which include Science, Agriculture, Information and Communication Technology), Social Sciences (which include Social Studies; Heritage Studies; Family, Religious and Moral Education; Guidance and Counselling) and Physical Education and Arts (which include Physical Education, Mass Displays and Visual Performance and Arts).

This restructuring aims to create a more holistic and engaging learning environment for learners.

Technological developments have improved learner engagement in education by providing fun and enjoyable learning opportunities, such as simulations and blended learning.

ICTs have reshaped the learning landscape, utilising tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to transform virtual learning spaces.

This shift has fostered personalised learning, improved accessibility and encouraged collaboration. Technology has also provided accessible modes of instruction for learners with mobility challenges, assistive devices, corrective hearing devices and speech therapy.

Therefore, the curriculum framework should emphasise on investment in digital infrastructural development and retooling to leverage technological opportunities.

In order to strengthen a conducive learning environment, the curriculum will promote use of the internet of things (IoT), robotics, AI and block chain. Avoidance of explicit content and upsetting visuals are important aspects of digital safety.

Ensuring universal design elements are incorporated into every new school building to improve accessibility and everyone’s safety is also a priority.

There is also encouragement of the construction of safe infrastructure, such as playgrounds, water sanitation and hygiene facilities, furniture and sanitary restrooms, that are age- and disability-appropriate.

Q: What are the major objectives of the new heritage-based curriculum?

A: The HBC is designed to address the specific educational needs of Zimbabweans, leveraging our unique resources and cultural heritage.

By aligning our education system with local realities, we aim to provide a more effective and purpose-driven educational experience.

Q: May you explain what the new school-based projects entail and how they differ from continuous assessment learning activities (CALAs)?

A: School-based projects (SBP) are practical initiatives conducted at the school level, grounded in the local environment and circumstances. Unlike CALAs, which assess a broad range of subjects, these projects allow learners to focus on specific areas of interest, fostering creativity and minimising costs.

A major difference, too, is that one SBP is conducted throughout the year per learning area, while CALAs were conducted per school term. The assessment of the SBP will follow both continuous assessment (CA) and summative assessment (SA).

Continuous assessment will include recorded activities from the SBP and other activities done by the learners for assessment, while summative assessment will include end of week, month, term, year or checkpoints assessments which was not done in CALAs.

For ECD (early childhood development), the model will mainly be continuous, with profiling and school-based projects, which is another shift from CALAs.

Q: The ministry has also put a cap on the number of subjects for Ordinary and Advanced Level learners. What was the rationale behind this and is it not an infringement of learners’ rights?

A: The decision to limit the number of subjects for Ordinary and Advanced Level learners aims to optimise their learning potential.

We believe a focused curriculum can better harness learners’ talents and abilities, making their educational experience more meaningful and less overwhelming.

Q: How will the new changes affect this year’s Grade Seven classes?

A: The Grade Seven examinations for current candidates will be assessed under the competence-based curriculum for Zimsec (Zimbabwe School Examinations Council) examination purposes.

However, they will not be doing any CALAs; instead, they will be doing the school-based projects. So, as we move forward, expect modifications in both the curriculum and the structure of national examinations to enhance educational outcomes.

Q: Can you outline the Government’s plan for the development of new schools and recruitment of more teachers to undergird the rollout of the new curriculum?

A: We face a significant shortage of learning spaces, necessitating the construction of more schools, even in urban areas like Bulawayo and Harare. We invite partners to collaborate with the ministry in addressing this gap.

However, I am pleased to inform the nation that by the end of 2024, we had 11 371 schools nationwide, up from 10 788 the previous year, marking an increase of 583 schools registered in 2024 alone. Of those schools, at least 90 were newly constructed schools.

Regarding teacher recruitment, while the Public Service Commission (PSC) manages this process, we continue to advocate additional teachers to improve the teacher-learner ratio and enhance educational delivery.

Our teacher recruitment indicates that the ministry was supported by the Ministry of Finance and the PSC to recruit 4 000 teachers in 2024, while this year we have made a request for 8 000 teachers depending on the resource envelope from Treasury.

The aim, again, is to reduce the high teacher-learner ratio.

Q: What is the Government’s plan for providing new learning materials following the introduction of the heritage-based curriculum?

A: As we transition to the heritage-based curriculum, we recognise the need to update teaching and learning materials to align with the new framework.

While some components of the previous competence-based curriculum will carry over, we are committed to ensuring that all materials are relevant and effective for the heritage-based curriculum.

The heritage-based curriculum is a review of the competence-based curriculum.

There are certain aspects of the competence-based curriculum that we have carried along in the heritage-based curriculum.

Where we have made some wholesale changes, there is need to look at the teaching and learning materials so that they remain relevant to the HBC.