adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
PUPILS in primary and secondary schools in the country will finally have the option to take part in a single sporting discipline of their choice throughout the year in a landmark Government policy shift that is expected to turn around the nation’s fortunes in international sports competitions in the long run, Post Sport can reveal.
Since independence, students in primary and secondary schools in most schools across the country were cowed into competing in athletics during the first term of the year before adjusting to soccer and netball during the second term.
In most schools, the third term would be reserved for arts and cultural extra-curricula activities but in a paradigm shift from this practice, the Cabinet has already approved a new curriculum framework that will see pupils opting to option to partake in a single sporting discipline of their choice throughout the year.
For example, a student who is brilliant or has potential in netball can no longer be coerced to undertake in athletics unless one is evidently multi-talented. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Sylvia Utete-Masango, confirmed that Cabinet had already approved the new curriculum framework.
She said 2015 marks in inception phase, while 2016 will see the implementation of the new policy.
“It (the the new policy) has been approved by Cabinet. It is new curriculum framework. 2015 is the inception phase and we hope 2016 will see its implementation.
“By 2018 we should be running full throttle. You can talk to Patrick Zumbo, our media person, for THE finer details or visit our website. It should be there by now,” said Utete-Masango in a brief telephone interview this week.
National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) head in charge of soccer Masimba Chohowa buttressed Utete-Masango’s confirmation, saying they were at an advanced stage working on the modalities of the envisaged policy implementation.
“Yes, we are actually working on the modalities of the new policy framework. We are putting together the budgets and that should be up and running soon,” said Chihowa.
Calls have been made over the years that sporting disciplines such as football be played throughout the year in schools to enhance talent development at grassroots level. However, for some reason it has taken long to witness such a progressive policy shift that will mould an athlete with a deeper understanding and passion for his or her respective sporting discipline.
Various analysts have spoken over the years of the need to have a single or two sporting disciplines for a pupil throughout the year.
With the relatively harsh economic conditions that have rendered it difficult to run community junior football teams or academies, school had become the only talent nursery left for young sportsmen and women.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza was even on record as calling for the need for more junior football academies.
“I think there is a lot more that could be done. We have a superb academy which has produced the likes of Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat and I think there is more to come from there as well.
“They are doing a fantastic job, scouting talent and we are very grateful to them for it. But if you look beyond that, then there is not that much else coming out of the other academies,” Mapeza, himself a product of a youth academy at Darryn Tornadoes, was quoted in the media as saying.
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