The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has directed all schools to introduce non-formal education as a way to promote access to education by learners who wish to pursue studies through the second chance model.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango, said her ministry had launched a policy aimed at promoting adult education in schools and registered colleges where beneficiaries would be asked to pay fees.
She made the remarks last Friday while addressing delegates at the National World Literacy Day commemorations held at Mavhudzi Government High School, last Friday.
The International Literacy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO on November 17, 1965 and was first celebrated on September8, 1966, marking its golden jubilee this year. The 2016 theme was: “Reading the Past, Writing the Future”.
The ministry has set 2030 as its target to attain the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which considers equity, quality, gender and life-long learning dispensation of education.
“Since independence, Zimbabwe has made great strides in the democratisation of the school system, improving access and quality education. The ministry went on an overdrive building schools to ensure that every learner is within reach of school. Primary and secondary schools rose from 3 161 in 1979 to the current 8 287 and enrolments shop up drastically from 1 235 994 in 1979 to 4 066 160 to date,” said Dr Utete-Masango.
“The ministry also encourages schools to open non-formal education classes for out of school people. Today, we have 145 044 (83 534 females and 61 510 males) learners who are pursuing education through the second chance model. There are 344 registered independent colleges, 1 053 part-time and continuing education (PTCE) centres and 1 5343 functional literacy centres, 790 Zimbabwe Adult Basic Education Courses (ZABEC) centres, all these centres helped tremendously to raise the literacy level in the country.
“The opening of so many formal and non-formal education centres resulted in raising the literacy rate to 92.4 percent and putting Zimbabwe at number one in Africa according to UNESCO. It helps to ensure equal access to education, eradicate illiteracy among women and improve women’s access to vocational training, science, technology and continuing education,” said Dr Utete-Masango.
Dr Utete-Masango said adult education, while sharpening the skills, should also embrace financial, marketing, media and technological literacy. Professor Hubert Gijzen, the director for UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, said while the world population has increased substantially, the number of young adults without literacy skills has declined by 25 percent between 1990 and 2015.
“There has been a movement in enhancing women’s opportunities to acquire literacy – 43 countries have shown major improvements in gender parity.
‘‘The global education for all movement spearheaded much positive change. But not enough. There remain today 758 million adults who cannot read or write a simple sentence. Two thirds are women. They receive none of the benefits of globalisation and suffer all its costs. These women and men a vulnerable to ill health, exploitation and human rights abuse,” said Prof Gijzen.
He said the Global Alliance for Literacy, launched on September 8, 2016 was meant to mobilise investment and promote innovative initiatives, with focus on gender and new information and communication technologies.
