The Sunday Mail
Harmony Agere
Zimbabwe may be enjoying one of the highest literacy rates in Africa but revelations made last week by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo show that the number of people who go on to acquire tertiary education is not as high as some might have thought.
Zimbabwe has often been touted as Africa’s most educated nation due to its well-structured education system but there could be more ground to be covered in terms of tertiary education before this tag can be merited.
While the country has achieved 92,4 percent national literacy rate, only 7 percent of the 8 million people who are above the age of 15 years have tertiary education.
Presenting his statement at the Zanu-PF 15th People’s National Conference in Victoria Falls last week, Professor Moyo further added that only six percent have undergraduate degrees.
What this means in simple terms is that barely half a million people in the country have attained higher education qualifications.
Nonetheless, the most worrying trend in higher learning is that the population with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education stands at a mere 0,03 percent.
For a country implementing a number of value addition and beneficiation initiatives, experts say the number of people with STEM is too low.
“We have a very sound education foundation and it is because of that foundation that Zimbabwe boasts of the literacy rate, there are now gaps that have arisen and we can close those gaps through Zim-Asset,” said Professor Moyo.
He also said without STEM, it would be difficult to achieve economic development.
“Value addition and beneficiation are neither possible nor achievable without STEM. The compelling point is that it is not possible to value add, beneficiate and industrialise without STEM, No STEM no economic development.”
The breakdown of Zimbabwe’s literacy figures by Minister Moyo is telling because it points out some of the weaknesses which may have been overlooked in the country’s education system. It reminds the nation that while the 92.4 percent literacy rate is a good achievement, it only represents those who can read and write. The country needs critically thinking graduates, especially in the field of science and technology. According to education expert Dr Peter Kwaira, the nation should not forget the long-term goals by dwelling on literacy rate achievements.
“At 92 percent, the literacy rate is good but what we are looking for is quality,” he said.
“It (literacy rate) is a system created by the colonial regime to come up with a useful labour force, so right now we should not be talking about literacy, we should be going beyond that.
“We need people who are critical thinkers, who can come up with solutions to solve problems.
“We should build on that literacy rate so that we can have a solid higher education as well.”
Dr Kwaira also emphasised the need to invest in STEM subjects saying the modern world is being shaped by investment in science and technology.
He, however, maintained that the country is producing more graduates although some are of less quality. The country has made tremendous strides by building a solid basic education but experts point out that efforts should now be focused on developing higher stages of learning.
Statistics from Prof Moyo’s presentation show that enrolment and graduation figures drop as the level of education goes higher. This is illustrated by the fact that while those who attained primary and secondary education stands at 81 percent, those with tertiary education are only seven percent. Those with undergraduate degrees are only six percent while those with Masters Degrees are only two percent. Only 5 000 (0.06 percent) people have doctorates (PHDs). Some experts, however, claim that the number of graduates being produced in the country corresponds well with the population. Experts argue that including 15-year-olds in the survey does not produce the accurate results since most adults are only able to attain tertiary education after the age of 18.
Other factors such as the high cost of education have been attributed to the low enrolment at tertiary level.
Nevertheless, the future looks bright as the country witnessed a 37.6 percent increase in the number of graduates from higher and tertiary education institutions during the previous year.
Basic education, which is the foundation for higher learning, also continues to grow from strength to strength.
According to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Lazarus Dokora, the number of schools in the country has grown from 578 in 1980 when the country attained Independence to the current 10 187.
Enrolment has also grown from 1.6 million in 1980 to 4,1 million to date.
About 16 000 students graduate from the country’s higher learning institutions each year while the total enrolment at state universities is 85 000.
