The Sunday Mail
Last month, Cabinet approved a framework to revamp the education curriculum, which is premised on imparting digital skills and modern research techniques critical for the 21st century to learners. The Sunday Mail’s EMMANUEL KAFE (EK) spoke to the director of communications and advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, MR TAUNGANA NDORO (TN), to unpack the new framework.
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EK: What was the motive behind replacing the continuous assessment learning activities (CALAs) with the new school-based projects of practical applications system?
TN: The motive behind implementing school-based projects of practical applications is to enhance schoolchildren’s learning experiences and promote a more hands-on approach to education.
Such projects are often aimed at bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world applications by providing learners with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills in practical settings.
School-based projects of practical applications can foster critical thinking, problem solving and creativity among learners.
They can also promote collaboration, communication and teamwork, as learners often need to work together to complete these projects.
Additionally, practical application projects can help learners develop practical skills that are relevant to their future careers or areas of interest.
The principal rationale behind school-based continuous assessment (SBCA) is to enhance quality education by ensuring that learners do not wait for the end of the learning programme or certificate examinations to exert study effort. It is designed to sustain quality learning throughout a period of the learning. The SBCA ensures that learners work consistently.
It provides early indicators of their performance, with built-in measures of feedback and support for them to master knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and aptitudes in a particular learning area.
It fosters critical awareness and reflection by learners, enabling them to take responsibility for their learning and monitor their progress.
Besides, the SBCA is designed to assess attitudes, skills and values that cannot be easily assessed in a two-hour examination question paper. The main features of the SBCA are that it is comprehensive, cumulative, systematic, guidance-oriented, diagnostic, developmental and formative.
It is a system of using different test modes such as class tests; class exercises; individual, pair or group tasks; portfolios; rubrics; homework; projects; and other assessment procedures to measure what learners have achieved throughout a teaching/learning process.
Broadly, the SBCA is simply all forms/modes of assessment that can be undertaken internally by any school-level actor (learner, teacher and school head).
This means the SBCA includes diagnostic assessments, formative assessments and summative assessments that can be completed while at school.
The SBCA is a form of assessment whereby the final grading of a schoolchild in a given learning area within a given level takes account of all his performances during a given period of schooling.
In other words, the learner is assessed right through the learning process and not only after the learning process.
EK: What does the new school-based projects framework entail?
TN: The project-based assessment is a form of assessment that responds to the project-based learning methods.
The project-based learning method is a teaching and learning method in which learners gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, complex question, problem or challenge.
It fosters skills like communication skills, self-management, time management and resilience.
Project-based learning provides learners with the opportunity to engage in meaningful real-world projects that respond to or provide a basis to solutions of real community challenges.
The goal of each learner’s project is to answer an engaging question, solve a problem or complete a challenge.
Ultimately, learners demonstrate their acquired knowledge by creating a public presentation or product for a real audience.
In order to assess project-based learning, project work is conducted as part of the SBCA, but it can also be used in the classroom as part of, for example, peer assessment activities.
Projects are learning activities that provide learners with the opportunity to synthesise and apply knowledge in a real-life situation.
Projects shall suggest a learning situation that enables the learner to demonstrate their capabilities while working independently or in a group.
Projects open up new ways of learning through discovery by learners. A well-run project teaches learners how to plan carefully, use their initiative, take on responsibility and present results skilfully.
Projects bring out the innate and creative abilities of learners, allowing them to delve into content in a more direct and meaningful way, as well as create bridges/promote links among the subject matter of different disciplines in a way that helps them view knowledge holistically, rather than from a narrow point of view, or as isolated facts.
Projects help learners to develop skills for living in a knowledge-based, technological society and teach them to take control of their learning.
It helps schoolchildren to learn, plan, think critically and become creative. Projects will develop the learners’ ability to work with their peers, build teamwork and group skills.
Projects are normally geared towards solving problems in the classroom, school, community and the world at large.
They foster learners’ inventive and creative skills, their ability to think critically and to work with others to solve real-life problems. While engaged in project activities, learners have fun as they creatively construct knowledge.
The school-based projects framework will typically involve integrating project-based learning into the curriculum.
Project-based learning is an instructional approach where learners engage in in-depth investigations of real-world problems or challenges.
They work on projects that require them to apply knowledge and skills from multiple subjects or disciplines to develop solutions or create tangible outcomes.
EK: Following Cabinet’s approval of the revised curriculum, what are the next steps in terms of implementation?
TN: The next step is that the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerayi Moyo, will come up with an implementation plan committee that will look at the nitty-gritty of the rollout of the heritage-based curriculum.
EK: Why were the number of areas covered by the non-examination process reduced and how will this change impact schoolchildren’s learning?
TN: It was rationalisation that identifies the following six learning areas at primary level: Indigenous language; English language; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Physical Education and Arts; and Social Sciences.
At secondary school level, there will be five compulsory learning areas for Forms One to Four: Mathematics; English language; Indigenous language and Literature; Combined Science; and Heritage Studies.
There will be three elective learning areas from the following categories: sciences; languages; humanities; commercials; technical and vocational; and physical education and arts.
The recommended number of learning areas for study for a Form One to Four learner is eight.
For Forms Five and Six, schoolchildren are to continue to study strictly three learning areas.
The learning experience is made more focused for our learners.
This curriculum framework has rationalised the infant and junior school curriculum from the previous eight subjects into six learning areas.
This rationalisation was achieved through elimination of duplication and overlaps and shifting of other concepts to next-grade levels and to other learning areas.
The process of rationalisation will see a review of syllabuses to factor in the changes in the framework.
The net effect should not overload primary school learners with both content and language learning materials in the bags and at the same time maintain quality and relevance of learning content.
Each learning area is allocated learning hours to avoid overload.
The rationalisation identifies the following six learning areas, which constitute the curriculum at infant school level: Indigenous language; English language; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Physical Education and Arts; and Social Sciences.
At secondary school, we have also reduced a number of compulsory learning areas to five so that we allow learners to choose learning areas that jell with their desires and strengths and to focus on only essential learning areas.
EK: How does the new curriculum balance foundational knowledge with the development of critical thinking, problem-solving and other 21st-century skills?
TN: In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the need to balance foundational knowledge with the development of 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, creativity and communication.
Zimbabwe’s educational curricula have evolved to address this balance and prepare learners for the challenges and opportunities of the modern world.
Remember, the specific details of curriculum changes will be rolled out in due course.
EK: What resources and training will be provided to teachers to support them in implementing the new curriculum effectively?
TN: The resources and training provided to teachers to support the effective implementation of the heritage-based curriculum will vary depending on the specific context of our educational system.
Teachers will be provided with detailed curriculum guidelines that outline the learning objectives, content standards and assessment criteria for each learning area.
These guidelines will serve as a roadmap for teachers to plan their instruction effectively.
Additionally, textbooks, workbooks, online resources and other instructional materials may be provided to support teachers in delivering the curriculum content.
The ministry will also provide professional development workshops or training sessions to familiarise teachers with the heritage-based curriculum and its instructional approaches.
Curriculum experts, experienced educators and instructional coaches who guide implementing the heritage-based curriculum effectively will lead these workshops.
The teacher is going to act as a coach or a facilitator directing and guiding learners’ activities, ideas and ambitions.
Performance will be assessed on an individual basis and will take into account the quality of the product produced, the depth of content understanding demonstrated and the contributions made to the ongoing process of project realisation.
EK: What measures will be taken to address potential gaps in access to technology, resources and support services that could disadvantage certain groups of learners?
TN: Addressing potential gaps in access to technology, resources and support services to ensure equity among learners is a critical aspect of implementing the heritage-based curriculum.
Efforts will be made to ensure that schools and classrooms have the necessary infrastructure, technology and resources to support the curriculum.
This may involve allocating funding to schools based on need, providing access to necessary hardware and software, and ensuring that all schoolchildren have equal access to textbooks, learning materials and other resources.
EK: How will the long-term success of the curriculum be monitored and evaluated?
TN: Let us be clear on the way forward.
The 2024 examination candidates for Grade Seven, Form Four and Form Six will continue with CALAs as before.
They are expected to complete the last two CALAs per learning area for 2024.
All the other levels (non-examination classes) will now have to do one project per learning area for 2024 under the SBCA framework and examinable at school level.
Monitoring and evaluating the long-term success of the heritage-based curriculum is crucial to ensure its effectiveness and make informed decisions for continuous improvement.
Ongoing assessment of learners’ performance will be essential to gauge the impact of the curriculum.
Standardised tests, formative and summative assessments, and other evaluation methods will be used to measure learners’ knowledge, skills and growth over time.
These assessments will align with the heritage-based curriculum’s learning objectives and provide reliable data on learners’ achievement.
EK: What resources will be available to support parents in understanding and supporting their children’s learning under the new curriculum?
TN: Supporting parents in understanding and actively engaging in their children’s learning is essential for the success of the heritage-based curriculum.
The ministry will organise workshops and information sessions specifically designed for parents to provide an overview of the heritage-based curriculum.
These sessions will cover topics such as curriculum goals, learning objectives, instructional approaches and assessment methods.
They will also address common questions and concerns that parents may have, just like what we did with the curriculum review process of the competence-based curriculum.
EK: Can you outline the Government’s plans to provide conducive teaching and learning infrastructure in rural areas, small-scale and commercial farming areas, and old and new resettlement areas?
TN: To provide conducive teaching and learning infrastructure in rural areas, small-scale and commercial farming areas, and old and new resettlement areas, the Government will focus on building and upgrading schools, classrooms and other educational facilities in rural and farming areas.
This includes constructing new school buildings, renovating existing structures and improving amenities such as electricity, water supply, sanitation facilities and internet connectivity.
In areas where physical infrastructure is limited, the Government will leverage on mobile and distance learning technologies to ensure access to education.
This may involve providing mobile learning devices, setting up mobile learning centres or utilising satellite-based internet connections to deliver educational content to remote areas.
The Government will also encourage partnerships among schools, local communities and relevant stakeholders to support educational programmes.
This can include involving community members in heritage-based curriculum development, organising parent-and-community workshops, and fostering collaboration between schools and local farming or resettlement organisations.
The Government will also collaborate with developmental partners, non-governmental organisations and local communities to implement these initiatives effectively and sustainably.
