The Sunday Mail
Debra Matabvu – Sunday Mail Reporter
Zimbabwe’s revised school curriculum will produce graduates with potential to create employment instead of them being mere job-seekers, a senior Government official has said.
Government has been consulting stakeholders over new provisions to be co-opted into the present education curriculum, which is generally viewed as being “too academic”.
The review draft framework has been finalised and will be presented before Cabinet in the next two weeks.
Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Professor Paul Mavhima said nationwide consultations point to the need to equip learners with entrepreneurial skills.
“There has been a lot of emphasis on technical education with stakeholders suggesting subjects like Mathematics, Science and Technology should be taught from as early as Early Childhood Development. Thus, we have produced a draft that is set to be presented before Cabinet before the end of this month.
“The objective is to produce a self-reliant graduate who has the fundamentals of business and wealth-creation. We have seen countries like China, South Korea and Singapore where the economy is being driven by local businesspeople. The business might be small, funded by small amounts of money and employing a small number of people, but contributing immensely to the economy.
“This is how a country should go. As a ministry, we want to promote economic development and better living standards for our people through basic education.”
The review is fulfilling recommendations of the 1999 Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training, which implored Government to anchor education on practical subjects to stimulate economic and industrial development.
The Commission – headed by veteran educationist Professor Caiphas Nziramasanga – states that a 100 percent academic orientation is not beneficial to Zimbabwe.
