adminThe Herald, 19 September, 1981
A GOVERNMENT drive to raise $160 million over the next three years will ensure that every primary school-leaver enters secondary school, the Minister of Education and Culture, Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka, said yesterday.
Primary schooling was not enough to propel the nation into the era of science and technology, he said in an interview.
It was crucial that a large number of the country’s children have a good background in secondary education before they marched into teacher training agriculture, commerce and industry, he said.
He pointed out severe constraints in the acute teacher shortage and a lack of resources but stressed “everyone of our children must have secondary school education”.
As a result, all boarding schools would be abolished because they cost between five to eight times more to run than day schools.
“The only sensible policy for Government is to ensure that secondary schooling is brought to the doorstep of every child.
“We are engaged in this massive programme to bring a day secondary school within reach of every child.
“We intend doing this through local participation because the sums of money needed in order to achieve this objective will run into billions of dollars,” Dr Mutumbuka said.
For these reasons Government has already started capital development programmes to raise funds from various sources over the next three years to the tune of $160 million “to ensure that every child leaving primary school enters secondary school as a day pupil”.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
The great strides in Zimbabwe’s education system were pioneered by Dr Mutumbuka, the first Minister of Education after independence. His approach was in tandem with the Second Republic’s thrust of leaving no one and no place behind.
Thus, Zimbabwe has made significant steps in its education sector, particularly with the amendments to the Education Act, which emphasise the right to free and compulsory basic education. The Government’s commitment to ensuring that every child has access to high school education is a crucial step towards improving educational outcomes and addressing various socio-economic challenges faced by the country.
The structure of Zimbabwe’s education system follows a 2-7-4-2 model, which includes two years of early childhood development, seven years of primary education, four years of secondary education, and two years of senior secondary schooling.
Despite a literacy rate of approximately 92pc, there are still challenges regarding access to quality education, especially in rural areas where infrastructure and resources are lacking.
Zimbabwe has since introduced a contemporary Educational framework 5.0 that builds upon previous models, specifically Education 3.0.
Education 5.0 expands this framework by incorporating two additional pillars: innovation and industrialisation. This model aims to create a more holistic educational experience that prepares students not only to be job seekers but also job creators.
Online Reporter