The Sunday Mail
PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister, Dr Lazarus Dokora has said his ministry is considering allocating places to members of the Apostolic Sect at teachers’ colleges in a bid to tap into their skills in line with the new education curriculum.
Dr Dokora said the framework adopted by the Government under the new curriculum seeks to impart practical skills to pupils for them to benefit directly from many empowerment initiatives.
The curriculum which was adopted in September last year has a framework which is based on five pillars namely: the legal and regulatory framework, teacher capacity and development, teacher professional standards, infrastructure development and the establishment of a Centre for Education Research and Innovation and Development.
Through the curriculum review, Government has redefined learning areas for the enrichment of a child’s development.
While addressing a caucus of Apostolic Sect Bishops under the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) Dr Dokora highlighted the importance of skills which champion the principles of Apostolic sect members.
“Baba Johane started a movement which was aimed at empowering black people. He implemented projects like weaving of baskets, making metal and clay pots using hands; those are the skills that Government seeks to introduce to every Zimbabwean child,” Dr Dokora said. “We are here as the ministry to remind each other that everyone who has a child should value that child’s education, even you members of the Vapostori (Apostolic sects) you have that responsibility.
“You should come on board with your God given talents and skills in the new educational curriculum and very soon you should get into our schools and teach our children,” he said.
Dr Dokora told the Bishops that the present curriculum framework gives expression to the national efforts and aspirations as reflected in the Government blue-print, Zim-Asset.
“The ministry seeks to actualise empowerment programmes as the basis for a new economy and complete our efforts for self-determination following the political independence we achieved in 1980. We must ask ourselves who exactly are we; if you hear some people talking about Zimbabwe you will be forgiven for assuming that they are not part of us.
“As a ministry with the responsibility to educate children we have taken it upon ourselves to engage you as stakeholders so that together we can sow a seed in our children that they may know their identity at a tender age,” Min Dokora said.
He added that the new curriculum was aimed at fostering a sense of national pride among pupils.
“We want to prepare our children for life and work and not just being theoretical. We want to motivate learners to cherish their Zimbabwean identity and value their heritage and cultural traditions and prepare them to be participatory citizens,” he said.
The Minister said Government had adopted a number of empowerment programmes that young people in schools should get involved in, adding it was important to teach them practical knowledge from an early stage.
He said parents should know that their children’s journey to education starts while they are still in their mothers’ wombs.
“And as church leaders you should educate people so that they make sure that women are not being abused especially when they are pregnant.
“Go and teach them that pregnant women should be handled with care. I am sure if you find a verse that supports that in the Bible you will get some.”
“If we continue with this culture of abusing our women we are destroying the future of our children because when you are abusing the one you are seeing physically you are also abusing the one in the womb. And it will affect his or her well being and eventually his education,” Dr Dokora said.
He said a baby born to an abused mother is completely different from the one whose experiences are contrary.
“Let us start to work together with the ministry while children are still in their mothers’ wombs,” he said.
Dr Dokora explained that the curriculum framework runs from this year to 2022 and forms part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Nziramasanga Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training.
