Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo recently in Lupane
EFFECTIVE career guidance and digital empowerment are critical tools in narrowing the education divide between rural and urban learners, a gap that continues to affect equitable development in the country, Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Dingumuzi Phuti has said.
Speaking on Thursday at a career day hosted by Lupanda Secondary School, Deputy Minister Phuthi stressed that career guidance in schools must go beyond helping students choose professions.
He said it should ignite purpose, align passions with real-world opportunities and develop competencies that drive national development.
Deputy Minister Phuti noted that for rural learners, who often face limited access to career information and digital resources, the need for structured, inclusive guidance is even more urgent.
“Many learners in the rural areas may not have access to the same resources and opportunities as their urban counterparts. Career guidance can help bridge this gap by providing learners with various career opportunities, including those that are relevant to their local content,” he said.
Deputy Minister Phuti said the Heritage-based curriculum and Education 5.0 agenda are designed to address these gaps by promoting skills, innovation and home-grown solutions.
“Heritage-based curriculum produces pupils with relevant competencies such as skills, knowledge, values, attitudes and dispositions that are key to national development. The education 5.0 has shown a pedagogical shift that is inevitable in an outcome-based education system that seeks to make pupils embrace an innovation and knowledge-driven economy,” he said.
Former learners from six local primary schools and Lupanda Secondary School donated seven Starlink kits to the schools in their cluster.
Deputy Minister Phuti hailed the initiative, saying it aligned with the Government’s digital learning thrust.
“Since Star Link kits have been provided to the schools as a ministry, we will provide laptops to Lupanda Secondary School, Tshayamathole and Siphophoma Primary Schools.
“This will be done this coming week. For the cluster, we will provide white boards and projectors for ease of learning,” he said.
Government efforts, through policies like Education 5.0, aim to close the gap between urban and rural learners by promoting practical, locally-relevant education and ensuring ICT access across all provinces.
Lupanda Secondary School is already embracing the innovation-focused vision of Education 5.0 through successful income-generating projects, including a flourishing cabbage garden and a poultry venture.
Deputy Minister Phuti toured the projects and commended the school for demonstrating how education can be both theoretical and practical.
