The ManicaPost
Charity Ruzvidzo Post Correspondent—
The 2017 learning season kicked off recently with both teachers and learners striving to understand the newly introduced curriculum.
The new curriculum, which is premised on producing a more diverse and well equipped learner, came as a welcome innovation to most Zimbabweans who aspire to see the education sector being tailor-made to meet the dynamic demands of the post-independence era.
However, although analysts have commended the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for introducing the curriculum changes, they expressed concern over the hurried and haphazard manner in which the changes were being implemented.
The analysts believe that the new curriculum is only implementable at more infrastructure-capacitated schools and practically impossible to adhere to at the majority of rural schools that still lack basic necessities like decent classrooms, furniture and books, not to mention electricity and internet connectivity.
Disciplines such as Science and Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Information Communication Technology and Heritage studies are part of the major thrust of the new curriculum.
A survey conducted by the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (ARTUZ) indicates that most schools in rural areas were incapacitated to successfully implement the new curriculum.
President of the ARTUZ, Obert Masaraure, said the survey was conducted in the country’s eight provinces.
“Teachers in the sampled schools revealed that they had not schemed because they do not have the syllabi,” he said.
“There is apparent lack of infrastructure to implement the new blueprint.
‘‘No electricity for compulsory computer programmes, no laboratories and textbooks for the content to be taught.”
Given such, the rural areas learner is at a disadvantage as compared to their urban counterparts who are lucky enough to have the appropriate resources at their schools, the survey notes.
In addition to unavailability of decent learning structures and equipment, teachers in rural areas do not have incentives to motivate them.
It is pivotal for a teacher to have the necessary requirements in order for him/her to produce the expected results.
The survey further indicates that rural areas schools are understaffed.
New subjects have been introduced yet the number of subjects remains unchanged.
“Integrated Science teachers are now forced to teach physics, biology and chemistry,” read part of the survey findings.
Zimbabwe’s literacy rate is one of the highest in Africa.
Analysts say the Government must focus on safe-guarding this record by sparing a thought to the learning environment surrounding the rural student.
The new curriculum takes into consideration the impact of information and communication technologies and their drive towards information driven economy.
The new skill sets warranted by ICTs to enable citizens to live and work competitively in the global village are also taken note of in the new curriculum.
The major challenge for the rural learner in the face of acquiring information communication skills would be the unavailability of electricity in most rural areas.
Rural electrification is still an ongoing process and most areas are yet to be connected.
The way forward, according to Progressive Teacher’s Union of Zimbabwe national co-ordinator Ladistous Zunde, is to provide a substantial budget towards the implementation of the curriculum and incentivizing rural teachers.
“There must be budgetary support towards the implementation of the new curriculum especially in rural areas.
Even schools in urban areas are still grappling with the new curriculum implementation.
Imagine, the situation in rural areas schools were some schools do not have computers and adequate infrastructure,” he said.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer, Sifiso Ndlovu, said teachers have the capacity to implement the new curriculum with adequate training.
“To suggest that teachers are not ready is not the right interpretation. Teachers simply need more time to be trained in order to familiarise with the new curriculum.
‘‘ Resources should be availed to do this for rural and urban teachers,” he said.
Masaraure said his union was lobbying, through Parliament, for resources to be channelled towards the successful implementation of the curriculum in rural areas.
He said they were also inviting developmental partners to assist in rural areas learning system’s development.
The curriculum is founded on notions of inclusivity, accessibility, equity, relevance, continuity, respect, gender sensitivity, transparency and accountability.
It is through the notion of inclusivity that rural learners should partake at the same pace with some of their urban counterparts in benefiting from the new curriculum.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Lazarus Dokora brushed off the survey conducted by ARTUZ.
“Irrelevant matters at week one of the implementation,” he said.
The new curriculum is organized into three learning levels which are: infant school, which starts at Early Childhood Development (ECD) up to Grade 2.
Junior school, starts from grades 3 to 7 and it reinforces foundational skills and begins to introduce students to life and work skills.
Secondary school, that is forms 1 to 6, prepares students for various options including university education, technical and vocational training programmes, apprenticeship and civil service as teachers, nurses, army officers and police officers.
The new curriculum is set to prepare learners for a largely agro-based economy and increasingly globalised environment; encourage lifelong learning; and promote patriotism, participating, participatory citizenship and sustainable development, among other objectives.
The curriculum will transform Zimbabwe’s learning environment for the better and create more competitive citizens. — Zimpapers Syndication.
