Chronicle EditorThe Government remains firmly on its agenda to ensure that the local education system sufficiently attends to the needs of the people.
After years of producing students who were strong in theory but with abysmal practical skills, the Government has since 2018, taken the path to make sure the nation’s education system’s products have the skills to make goods and provide services.
We have seen university and college students producing drones, garments, coming up with applications to improve farm produce marketing, producing improved livestock genetics and the like.
The institutions are not only sharpening skills of students and their tutors but are also making money through selling their products. They, too, are providing tangible services to their communities.
The country is also substituting imports, as local institutions are producing more, thus promoting foreign currency savings.
In relation to primary and secondary schools, the Government introduced the competency-based curriculum under which kids do the continuous assessment learning areas (Calas). Through the module, the children get their minds stimulated to produce models that can be developed into bigger products of commercial and social value.
Now, as we report elsewhere today, the Government has identified 10 schools — one in each of the country’s 10 provinces — to provide technical education to children. They will write Higher Education Examinations Council (Hexco) tests with those who pass receiving certificates.
Luveve High School in Bulawayo, Mzingwane High School in Matabeleland South, Hwange High School in Matabeleland North, Harare’s Allan Wilson High, Chinhoyi High School in Mashonaland West, Chipindura High School in Mashonaland Central, Midlands’ Guinea Fowl High, Mutare Boys High in Manicaland, Mutoko High School in Mashonaland East and Mwenezi High School in Masvingo have been picked for the pilot. They will teach skills like metal work, woodwork, clothing design, food technology, home management, aviation and so on.
“The skills development concept of technical high schools is in line with the Sadc industrialisation and modernisation agenda of the 21st century,” said Mr Taungana Ndoro, spokesperson for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
“This will arguably bridge the gap between technical education in secondary schools and Technical Vocational Education and Training in higher and tertiary education institutions.
“In the envisaged Technical High Schools, pupils are allocated more time to develop innovative design and technological ideas.
Emphasis is on hands-on competencies where learners will be periodically attached to the industry as well as receive competitive accreditation in the various technical skills areas.”
We applaud the Government for strengthening the Cala approach by piloting the new initiative and linking it to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education through Hexco.
This builds a much stronger pipeline of skills from the bottom up. This empowers the children at a tender age, which gives them opportunities to use their hands and minds for a living at that stage.
We hope that the pilot phase would be successful so that the initiative is broadened to other schools countrywide, for we are confident that interest in technical training is huge.
A widening of the programme will obviously have financial implications, given the need for the schools to be appropriately equipped with the machines and technologies to enable the pupils to make the tangibles. The Government will be equal to this task, we are sure.
Online Reporter