Education 5.0 demands shift from theory to production: MSU dean

ZIMBABWE’S education system must urgently move beyond theory-driven teaching towards innovation, industrialisation and practical problem-solving if it is to produce graduates capable of driving national development and economic transformation, a senior academic has said.

Speaking during the just-ended Fourth Edition of the National Education Summit Zimbabwe (NESZ) 2026, Midlands State University (MSU) Executive Dean in the Faculty of Education, Dr Anna Moyo, said the Education 5.0 model requires schools, colleges and universities to transform classrooms into innovation and production centres.

The four-day summit, held under the theme, “From Policy to Practice: Driving Innovation and Investment in Zimbabwe’s Education System,” attracted about 3 000 delegates from Government ministries, the education sector, development partners, financiers, private sector players and international organisations.

Dr Moyo said curriculum development should no longer be viewed as merely following a syllabus but as a broad process shaping learners’ experiences, values, skills and contributions to society.

“Curriculum is not just a document or a syllabus,” she said. “It is the total living experiences of learners in schools and also in the whole society. It also includes what people learn, their beliefs and motivations, their actions and experiences, how knowledge is produced, shared and acted upon.”

She said Zimbabwe’s adoption of the Education 5.0 model — anchored on teaching, research, community engagement, innovation and industrialisation — marked a significant departure from the previous education system.

“You agree with me, ladies and gentlemen, that we were using the 3.0 model. The 3.0 has no innovation and industrialisation,” said Dr Moyo.
“But the 5.0 now, it needs us to have a hands-on approach. It is now a practical approach that needs each and everyone to be involved.”

She said Zimbabwe was moving “from transmission to production,” with the new education philosophy emphasising the creation of goods, services and solutions rather than mere knowledge consumption.

“We have moved from an education system that emphasised consumption to one focused on production of goods and services,” she said.
“The colonial education system focused on teaching, research and community engagement but produced graduates with very minimal skills. Education 5.0, on the other hand, emphasises industrialisation and innovation and produces skilled problem solvers who contribute to economic development.”

Dr Moyo said classrooms should become centres of creativity and production aligned to the country’s Vision 2030 developmental aspirations.

“Our classrooms should be laboratories that are responsible for producing something tangible, something that can be used for the production of the country,” she said.
“This is part and parcel of Vision 2030 which advocates for the transformation of our economy into an upper-middle-income economy.”

She highlighted MSU’s implementation of Education 5.0, saying the institution had embraced digitalisation, innovation and industrialisation across departments.

“We have now moved from the parameters of the classroom,” said Dr Moyo.
“The Covid-19 era taught us that the classroom built with mortar and bricks is not necessary. We now do face-to-face and online learning. Everything is done online.”

She said the university had fully digitalised several operations.

“There is what is called e-Santa whereby a student just has an ID and swipes for food, in the library, everywhere. We have gone digital,” she said.
“Even during our mobilisation, we mobilised students online. As far as teaching is concerned, we are way above other institutions.”

On research, Dr Moyo said universities must abandon purely theoretical studies and instead focus on work that directly benefits communities.

“At Midlands State University, we are saying research is there to transform society,” she said.
“We no longer do research that is theoretical. We are now doing research for the benefit of society.”

She cited the production of locally authored academic books by the Faculty of Education as part of efforts to decolonise knowledge production.

“We are producing textbooks. We are producing books that you usually found in libraries written by people like Creswell.
“We have never seen Creswell, but there is a Creswell standing in front of you,” she said.
“If you want to do research — undergraduate, master’s or PhD — these are some of the books you are supposed to use.”

Dr Moyo also stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between schools and communities, saying institutions could not achieve Education 5.0 without tapping into indigenous knowledge systems.

“We should have a reciprocal relationship with the community because community members have knowledge that can help schools prosper,” she said.
“Some heads are known for having clashes with their communities. How can we achieve 5.0?”

She urged schools to work closely with surrounding communities on projects and development initiatives.

“Your school should say something about what you are doing,” she said.

Turning to industrialisation, Dr Moyo said schools should encourage entrepreneurship and innovation among learners rather than waiting for Government assistance.

“When a learner repairs a desk, makes reusable sanitary pads or starts a rabbit-rearing project, that is industrialisation,” she said.
“We should also industrialise in our schools. Let’s not wait for other organisations to help us.
“Let’s not wait for the Government to help us, but let’s help the Government to industrialise.”

She challenged school leaders and teachers to embrace a mindset that promotes job creation and enterprise development.

“Every subject, every topic, every lesson — ask yourselves: can this solve a real problem in our community?” said Dr Moyo.
“Can this create a job? We should be job creators.”

Using MSU as an example, she said the university had established innovation hubs, enterprise departments, retail outlets and specialised research centres to turn ideas into marketable products.

“We have an enterprise department producing toiletries, shirts, dresses and other products,” she said.
“We have the innovation hub that transforms ideas into practical things. We also have stores where everything produced is sold.”

Dr Moyo said the university was also investing in specialised sectors such as pharmaceutical cannabis research.

“We have a cannabis centre where cannabis is grown not for personal use but for pharmaceutical products,” she said.
“We are now far away from traditional teaching. We are focusing on industrialisation and innovation.”

Dr Moyo challenged educators to return to their institutions and transform learning environments into centres of innovation and national development.

“Go and make your classroom an innovation hub,” she said.
“Curriculum should be aligned with innovation. Curriculum should be aligned with industrialisation. Curriculum should be aligned with national development.”