Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka, [email protected]
ZIMBABWE’S education sector is undergoing a major transformation anchored on a heritage-based curriculum aimed at producing innovative, skilled and globally competitive learners aligned with national development aspirations and the demands of the modern world, a senior Government official has said.
Speaking during the just-ended 4th Edition of the National Education Summit Zimbabwe (NESZ) 2026, chief director for curriculum development and technical services in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr
Cyprian Kent Masocha, said curriculum reform is no longer optional but a necessary response to evolving learner needs, rapid technological change and shifting national priorities.
The four-day summit, held under the theme, “From Policy to Practice: Driving Innovation and Investment in Zimbabwe’s Education System,” drew about 3 000 delegates, including representatives from Government ministries, the education sector, development partners, financiers, the private sector and international organisations.
Mr Masocha said the ongoing curriculum transformation is designed to align the country’s education system with Vision 2030 as well as broader national and global development frameworks.
“To be on the same page, I define curriculum transformation as a process of changing and improving an education system’s curriculum in a country so that it fits well with national policies and aspirations, new goals, learner needs and real-world requirements as learners are prepared for the complexities of the current modern world and the future,” he said.
He said stakeholder collaboration remains a critical pillar in driving successful curriculum reform, adding that education systems must be inclusive, adaptive and responsive to emerging technological and global challenges.
“We wanted to create an inclusive environment that respects and integrates the perspectives of all groups. It should acknowledge and address diverse learning styles and inclusive education need,” said Mr Masocha.
Mr Masocha said the Government undertook a review of the competency-based curriculum introduced in 2015, leading to the development of the heritage-based curriculum in 2023. The revised curriculum builds on previous strengths while placing stronger emphasis on national identity and development priorities.
“As a ministry, we did review or transform that curriculum. We used a transformative approach which I call reimagining education or rethinking education,” said Mr Masocha.
He said the new framework is intended to make education more relevant, equitable and responsive to the country’s evolving needs.
“Our curriculum was reviewed to ensure that it is not only relevant but also equitable and aligned with the needs of the country and the modern world,” said Mr Masocha.
Mr Masocha said the heritage-based curriculum is grounded in the Government’s position that education is a strategic tool for national development.
“The Government considers education as a sovereign national development instrument and this calls for education policies that always serve the national interest and long-term development aspirations of Zimbabwe,” said Mr Masocha.
He added that the curriculum has been aligned with Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy, the African union Agenda 2063 and global Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr Masocha described heritage-based learning as an approach that uses Zimbabwe’s cultural, historical and natural resources as the foundation for teaching, innovation and production.
“Heritage-based learning is an approach to education that exploits tangible heritage to produce goods and services. Examples of our heritage are the languages that we use, the beliefs, the land, the flora, the fauna, the historical and social legacies and the cultural values and human resources,” said Mr Masocha.
He said the approach is designed to promote both creativity and innovation while reinforcing African values within the education system.
“It fosters innovation and creativity by encouraging learners to apply heritage knowledge to solve real-life problems,” said Mr Masocha.
Mr Masocha also highlighted a significant shift in teaching methods under the new curriculum, with educators expected to take on a more facilitative and collaborative role in the learning process rather than acting as traditional transmitters of knowledge.
“We now consider the teacher to be a facilitator, a collaborator, a co-learner and co-explorer rather than a knowledge transmitter,” said Mr Masocha.
The ministry has also expanded learning domains beyond the traditional cognitive, psychomotor and affective frameworks to include digital, technical and socio-emotional competencies in response to changing global demands.
“When we trained, most of us only knew about three domains that is cognitive, psychomotor and affective, but we have now broadened them to four, which is cognitive, technical, digital and socio-emotional domains,” said Mr Masocha.
Among the key reforms under the heritage-based curriculum is the replacement of Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) with school-based projects, which are intended to strengthen practical learning and innovation.
“We replaced CALA with school-based projects because we thought project learning will give us positive and sustainable results,” he said.
Under the new model, each learner from Early Childhood Development (ECD) level to Form Six is required to complete one school-based project per learning area every year.
“The school-based project is worth 20 percent and the tests and examinations constitute 80 percent,” he said.
Mr Masocha said the reforms also incorporate emerging and contemporary issues into teaching and learning, including climate change, artificial intelligence, robotics, entrepreneurship, disaster risk management, environmental management and child rights.
“These issues should be learned in context and it is up to the teacher to ensure that he integrates these
contemporary issues into the teaching and learning processes,” he said.
He added that the ministry has introduced a two-route system at secondary level, offering learners different pathways aligned with their skills, competencies and career aspirations.
Mr Masocha said the curriculum transformation is supported by a broader framework that includes teacher capacitation, improved digital and physical infrastructure, sustainable financing, research, innovation and policy support.
