Govt, Unesco in new education policy thrust

Ellen Chasokela Herald Reporter
Government in collaboration with Unesco is developing the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) policy which will help harmonise and standardise the implementation of development-oriented education in Zimbabwe.

Officiating at the National Workshop for the Capacity Building Programme for Teacher Educators recently, Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Professor Fanuel Tagwira said there was need for expanding teachers’ engagement for delivery of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

“Teachers have an important role in implementing ESD which will help foster students’ ability to take part in promoting sustainable development,” he said.

“It is important to ensure that the teacher has the right competence to develop and implement education for sustainable development.

“The Capacity Building Programme for Teacher Educators on Education for Sustainable Development (CAP-ESD), affectionately known as Sustainability Starts with Teachers, therefore, aims to strengthen implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in teacher education institutions for teachers and educators from ECCE, primary, secondary and TVET.

“Education is a critical component of this global agenda, not only as a development goal in its own right, but also because education supports engagement with other goals and thus bringing new focus to education, learning processes and curricula, including teacher education curricula and programmes.’’

Prof Tagwira said efforts will be tailored to support teachers and teacher educators with the implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum in schools, as this curriculum framework captures the fundamentals of the SDG 4 which is oriented towards the achievement of educational quality within a lifelong learning framework.

“One of the major issues pointed out in the Global Education Monitoring Report (2016) is that teacher education needs to be more adequately aligned with the SDGs, and teachers need to be supported to understand and implement Education for Sustainable Development,” he said.

“There is need for expanding teachers’ engagement, especially issues of poverty, health, sanitation, climate change, energy, employment, economic growth and environmental protection are addressed in this framework.”