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In this week’s instalment, I present an article from educationist Professor Isaac Ignatius Dambudzo from the Zimbabwe Open University. He gives an overview of the nature of education during Zimbabwe’s struggle for Independence. Quite clearly, the search for a relevant curriculum has its roots in the liberation struggle. Read on.
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The education system of Zimbabwe today mirrors the Zanu education system during the liberation struggle in terms of structure, organisation, curriculum, practice, theory and methodology.
Most interesting is that obstacles and challenges were not allowed to deter the thrust to provide education for the many young Zimbabweans who had been displaced by the war.
There was overwhelming hunger and thirst for education. Inspired by the limited educational opportunities brought on by the racially restrictive education system of the minority government, Zanu set out to implement a system to meet demand. This was part of the agenda to democratise education. Zanu was aware that some cadres’ education was disrupted by the war and did not want to wait for independence for them to resume school.
In 1975, the party formed an education department led by Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka, with Sheiba Tavarwisa as his deputy.
Fay Chung played a vital role in this regard. Any education system operates within a context. What was this context then?
Large numbers of young people needed education, as they had either been displaced from school in colonial Rhodesia, or voluntarily joined the armed struggle.
Some of the oldest fighters had no formal education at all. Basically, they were illiterate.
There were no schools for them in Mozambique, though their hunger for education was overwhelming. There were very few trained teachers. There were no classrooms.
Education was of necessity influenced by politics, hence political education appeared to take centre stage.
The pillars of education were (1) code of conduct, (2) analysis of people’s grievances (land issue, educational deprivation, poverty and unemployment), (3) discipline (obeying orders, not stealing from the masses and surrendering all that had been captured) and (4) personal, social and health education.
The latter focused on politeness, honesty, nutrition and respect for others.
One can see that focus was on life skills and understanding why people were fighting the war. It is clear that education had a purpose to achieve even under the most difficult conditions. Values were important as they gave individuals character.
Infrastructure was necessary for education to begin. None was available, though.
Makeshift schools were established at different military camps in Mozambique. These comprised grass-thatched huts of different sizes which were used as classrooms and dormitories. Some conducted lessons under trees.
They were located strategically to minimise the risk of children and teachers being bombed by enemy forces. Interestingly, unavailability of classrooms did not deter the education programme. People improvised and lessons were conducted. This philosophy was employed soon after Independence. Faced with huge numbers of students needing education, Government maximised existing infrastructure by introducing “hot seating”. In addition, parents were encouraged to build classroom accommodation using available material.
This was pragmatic, enabling thousands of children to receive education. Some lessons were also conducted under trees.
The quality of infrastructure may have been poor, but people were schooled. During the war, teachers took turns to use the available classroom accommodation. There was tolerance and acceptance. The temporary grass-thatched classrooms solved the challenge of learning and teaching space. The next challenge was lack of teaching and learning material. Once again, teachers and learners were encouraged to make do with what was available.
There were no textbooks, exercise books, chalkboards, chalk, pencils and ballpoint pens. The situation was desperate, but this did not deter implementation of education plans.
Cardboard boxes that contained food imported from Norway were used as chalkboards and charcoal as chalk.
For exercise books, the children wrote words and figures in the sand with their fingers. The work they wrote in the sand would be cleared after every lesson to create space for the next subject or exercise. Once again, it can be seen that the lack of learning material did not prevent children from receiving education.
For furniture, tables, desks and chairs were made out of bamboo, which was abundant in Mozambique. Teachers’ creativity and determination made all the difference. This is what is called improvisation. What did they learn?
Initially, as already stated, focus was on life skills, social and personal values. In addition, teachers and learners held group discussions to understand the situation in Zimbabwe thoroughly. Focus was mainly on agriculture, industry and education. These were regarded as relevant issues in preparation for independence. Thus the curriculum was ecologically relevant. By understanding their environment, any effort to improve the situation would be well-informed, leading to more appropriate decisions and actions in the future.
The education plan received a big boost with assistance to the tune of US$250 000 from Unicef to buy books, pencils and other school materials in 1977. Books and equipment were procured immediately.
This was, indeed, great empowerment for the education department, teachers and learners. For the first time, teachers had appropriate teaching materials like chalkboards and chalk.
Children had textbooks, paper and pencils and ballpoint pens to write with.
It now became possible to organise the thousands of teachers and children into orderly schools, creating a firm foundation for Dzingai Mutumbuka’s and colleagues’ ambitious education plans during the liberation struggle so that children got sound education.
These developments saw the establishment of an education system as part of a long-term plan for education in the post-war era.
The plan ensured schools were set up at various camps in Mozambique and other neighbouring countries.
It also had provision of sound education which incorporated into Zanu’s political agenda of national unity, national consciousness, socialism, anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism and anti-racism. A recruitment drive followed for young Zimbabweans to teach in camp schools. These were values, philosophies that guided the kind of education provided.
Teachers had to be prepared to deliver education that encapsulated the basic principles. The values taught were meant to help the young people understand what they were fighting for. This also helped them appreciate their aspirations in relation to what they had experienced and what their parents, who had remained in Zimbabwe, were experiencing.
This underscores the relevance of the education focus. Understanding the present calls for knowledge of the past. One could say emphasis may have been on History.
This also helped strengthen solidarity among the young and old for the war effort and agenda. It was also an aspect of inter-generational study which enabled the young people to move on with clear knowledge and understanding of their environment – past and present. Such history was contextual hence ecologically relevant to their lives.
When learning is related to one’s environment, it becomes more meaningful, easy to appreciate and apply. This makes education meaningful to one’s life for sustainable development. It is also important that the structure and organisation of the education system during the armed struggle be examined and discussed. This is a subject of yet another article in this column in the continuing narrative.
Dr Lazarus Dokora is Primary and Secondary Education Minister and provided this article as part of a series The Sunday Mail is running on Zimbabwe’s education curriculum review
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