Government backs Heritage Based Education

THE Government has backed the introduction of Heritage-Based Education to both primary and secondary levels in the country’s schools.

The move is aimed at boosting the nation’s education system and nurturing a culture of creativity and innovation among students.

Cabinet endorsed the education model being aligned with the advanced Heritage-Based Education framework already in place at tertiary institutions.

Students are being encouraged to identify challenges in their communities and empowered to research and find solutions to problems.

The Government is also keen to overhaul vocational training programmes so that students have the skills needed for their future careers.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has pointed to schools like St Columba’s High School in Bulawayo as an example of practical benefits of this educational model.

Learners at St Columba’s are not only acquiring valuable skills, but also learning to monetise these abilities even before completing Form 4.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo said the introduction of Heritage-Based Education in the early stages of the schooling system is being aligned with the advanced Heritage-Based Education 5.0 framework in place at tertiary institutions.

This advanced model is designed to leverage national resources to tackle local challenges effectively.

Minister Moyo shared these insights during a Senate Q&A session last Thursday, underscoring the imperative for an education system that equips learners with the skills necessary to address and solve real-world problems.

“We have introduced Heritage-Based Education where students are creative and innovative. They consider problems in their communities, whether farming challenges or fishing challenges.

“They will be addressed by this new curriculum and we are harmonising Heritage-Based Education with Education 5.0,” he said.

“Heritage-Based Education’s major objective is to produce an African child who is suitable for the 21st century and some of the things that we inculcate in our learners is the issue of critical thinking skills.

“We want our learners to be highly innovative, be able to identify societal challenges that are affecting our communities, especially in both our rural and urban areas. When they identify societal challenges, they are able to do research and find solutions to the problems.”

Minister Moyo said the new direction for the Government’s educational policy focuses on a comprehensive overhaul of vocational training programmes.

The objective is to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to embark on their careers immediately upon completing their education, thereby transforming them from job seekers to job creators.

The minister said several schools had already begun producing learners who possess problem-solving skills, which is proof to the effectiveness of this new educational approach.

“Heritage-Based Education speaks to issues of vocationalisation of education, and by vocationalisation of education, we are saying we want our learners to have skills to be job creators at Form 2 and at Form 3 level. By the time the learner completes O-level, he should have a career. I do not hesitate to give an example of learners at St Columba’s and many other schools who are earning a living,” said Minister Moyo.

“One learner managed to raise about US$2 000 from drawing housing plans and the plans that learner will be submitting will be approved. We have some learners at Form 2, Form 3, who can fix cars, who are builders and carpenters. They actually realise their careers while they are in school.”

He said the next level of learning will be supported through digital learning with coding, robotics and artificial intelligence being mainstreamed.

Minister Moyo said part of the transformation of the sector will see capacitation and on-job training for teachers so that they understand the dictates of where the Government wants the education sector to head.

“A lot of training will be given to teachers so that they can give the requisite skills and competencies in our learning sector,” said Minister Moyo. — @nqotshili