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The two institutions of higher learning deserve a pat on their backs for rising above inconsequential regional and tribal politics and coming up with sensible solutions to this topic which has haunted the region for far too long and was fast becoming a favourite pastime for petty politicians.
Nust, in particular, has come under attack from politicians bent on fomenting tribalism and regionalism who accused the institution of favouring students from outside Matabeleland.
Such hare-brained politicians and like-minded characters easily forget that first and foremost, Nust is a national institution despite its location, and secondly it has a particular bias towards science and mathematics subjects. Students who therefore enrol at the institution must have passed science and mathematics subjects.
Nust is a national institution and cannot crouch down and look at where the applicant comes from, just like the University of Zimbabwe and the Midlands State universities do not necessarily enrol students from Mashonaland and the Midlands provinces only because of their geographical locations.
The bottom line is that they look at the students’ passes at Advanced Level, and one’s place of origin is not among those requirements.
But we are glad that Nust has gone out of its way, together with JM Nkomo Polytechnic, to reach out to students in Matabeleland and assist them to pass maths and science subjects.
According to Nust’s director of information and public relations, Mr Felix Moyo, the university’s School Enhancement Programme (Nustsep) which was launched in 2010 has already started improving Ordinary and Advanced Level results in Matabeleland.
Because Nust does not enrol students who do not have mathematics passes at O-Level, it launched this programme in which its lecturers work with teachers at schools to give pupils extra mathematics lessons so as to improve chances of pupils from the region getting enrolled.
Seven pupils from Binga High School in Matabeleland North, which is famous for poor results, were enrolled in the programme and they passed their O-Level mathematics.
The programme has received plaudits from education officers in the three provinces in the Matabeleland region — Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North.
We also reported on Tuesday that the JM Nkomo Polytechnic had embarked on an almost similar marketing programme around Matabeleland South in a bid to raise awareness among the youths about the importance of education, especially science and mathematics subjects.
Such outreach programmes will ensure that there are more students studying at these two institutions from the Matabeleland region and will also produce more graduates in applied mathematics, chemistry, engineering and other science subjects. In the long run, these professionals will not only help develop Matabeleland, but the entire country as a whole.
This will also go a long way in curbing the emigration of school leavers from the region to neighbouring Botswana and South Africa where they engage in all kinds of menial jobs, with some even resorting to crime.
Zimbabwe is renowned for its high educational standards and the move by Nust and the JM Nkomo Polytechnic is another step towards enhancing the quality of education in this country.
We challenge parents to also play their part by encouraging their children to take an interest in science and mathematics subjects. There is a need to deal with wrong attitudes by pupils towards maths and science subjects right from primary school level.
In other countries, mathematics is made compulsory in the first year of university or college education, even if someone is studying non-science subjects. We do not see the reason why this cannot be applied here given the standards we have set in Africa.
We therefore call upon the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture to work hand-in-glove with universities and colleges to improve the quality of learning in schools, particularly in science and mathematics.
The challenge is on the ministry that as it sets up its centres of excellence, this should not be confined to sports alone, but should also have a strong bias towards producing students who are well versed with science and mathematics.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo