adminSharon Chiware, Midlands Reporter
GWERU Polytechnic has set up committees to work towards transforming the college into a degree awarding institution.
Gweru Polytechnic Principal Mr Washington Chandiwana said they want to have degrees that promote industrialisation.
“We are thinking of information technology due to our strong clothing section. We have also decided to have a degree of clothing technology among others. Already we have set up committees to work towards the degree awarding status,” said Mr Chandiwana.
“We have been innovative by introducing electrical engineering in the secondary school curriculum. We have so far been working with secondary schools such as Fletcher High School, Mkoba 1 High School and Nashville High School.
“We assisted the schools to set up a section for electrical engineering so that their students can do the HESCO national foundation certificate in domestic appliance repair and services,” said Mr Chandiwana.
He said so far the programme has been running very well and they hope it will improve with time.
Last year Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said he had appointed a committee chaired by former University of Zimbabwe Pro-Vice Chancellor Chipo Dyanda to look into the transformation of all teachers colleges into universities of education while Chinhoyi University of Technology’s Professor David Simbi will head a steering committee that will consider the feasibility of turning polytechnics into degree awarding institutions.
Prof Moyo said the new policy recommendations arose during his extensive consultative meetings with various stakeholders between July 2015 and February 2016.
The committees are expected to identify funding implications of the proposals and what sources of funding were available to enable the teachers colleges or polytechnics to offer degrees as stand-alone institutions capable of offering at least four degree specialists.
The two committees will also be expected to identify opportunities to collaborate with universities to help capacitate teachers colleges or polytechnics.— @sharonchiware1
Online Reporter