Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
JOSHUA Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province has started inviting applicants to enrol for Form One places at its newly established secondary school, which opens its doors next year.
The setting up of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Secondary School is in line with the Heritage–based Education 5.0 model.
The concept is also consistent with the Second Republic’s thrust to build more schools and, in particular, in line with Government policy directive for colleges to establish practising schools.
The college has already established an Early Childhood Development Centre. The centre, which is registered as “Little Big Josh ECD Centre,” opened its doors in May this year, and it is located at the polytechnic’s old campus.
The secondary school will be temporarily housed at one of the buildings at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic as the main structure is still under construction.
In his presentation during the Matabeleland South provincial development committee meeting on Monday, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic’s acting principal, Mrs Concelia Mswela said the secondary school will also help in training students during their teaching practice.
“We are opening up a secondary school which will serve as a practicing school for our mathematics and science students. Our lecturers will be teaching together with our students in those areas during teaching practice,” she said.
“This will help to improve the quality of service to complement the efforts by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education concerning the teaching of sciences. We have through our parent ministry received a go-ahead to establish and construct the school.”
Mrs Mswela said classes will start in January.
“We will be growing gradually, and for now we will be using our structures at the polytechnic for the secondary school. The learners will be accommodated within the existing polytechnic infrastructure as the construction of the school is in progress,” she said.
Mrs Mswela said the secondary school will have a bias towards science subjects to promote the teaching of science subjects.
In line with the national thrust towards science subjects, and considering the generally low O-level pass rates in science subjects in the province, the polytechnic is currently running an O-level Supplementary Programme focusing on science subjects.
Mrs Mswela said the institution has also put measures in place to promote the adoption of courses under the technical division.
She said enrolment under the division is still low as some students prefer white collar jobs.
In this year’s annual graduation ceremony that was held last month, 681 students graduated from the teacher education division while 281 were from the technical division
“If trained these youths can contribute to the development of infrastructure in our province and we won’t have to import skills from other provinces. We would like to appeal to various stakeholders to conscientise our youths and communities to consider taking up technical courses on offer,” said Mrs Mswela.
“To promote the uptake of technical courses, we have introduced as a mandatory requirement for students to take up at least one technical vocational subject so that they have at least one skill other than their main subject.”
Mrs Mswela said the institution is working towards having a fully-fledged curriculum that is Education 5.0 compliant.
She said the polytechnic has embarked on a number of projects and programmes anchored on innovation and industrialisation in keeping with its mandate to produce the relevant human capital for development and modernisation in line with Vision 2030.
Online Reporter