Tinaye Agere
Theseus Shambare
THE updated school curriculum will be unveiled this week, amid indications the new basic education framework will be heavily tilted towards imparting digital skills and modern research techniques that are critical for the 21st Century job market.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo told The Sunday Mail that he would submit the reviewed curriculum framework to President Mnangagwa for approval sometime this week.
The new curriculum will lay out the knowledge, skills and values that learners will be expected to master between 2024 and 2030.
He said the curriculum will include “something phenomenal”, hinting that it will take on board modern learning techniques.
“The curriculum will be ready next week (this week),” he said.
“I now have the draft, but we are going to have a bigger engagement before unveiling it.
“We will then invite the media after I have apprised the President.
“I cannot disclose what is new in the curriculum for now.
“Once I have apprised the President and Cabinet, I will invite you to share with the rest of the nation.
“However, I say to you, expect something new; something phenomenal.”
Review of the current curriculum, which came into force in 2015, commenced in April and involved countrywide consultations with parents, as well as education sector stakeholders.
The reviewed framework, Minister Moyo said, takes on board societal, technological and educational changes that have emerged since 2015.
“In all this, it should lead all sectors of the economy to adopt 21st century methods of doing business by focusing on the acquisition of digital skills for every learner in every sphere,” he said.
Recently, Minister Moyo said the curriculum will continue to place emphasis on learning areas such as agriculture since Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy.
The continuous assessment learning activities (CALAs) that are part of the current curriculum came under heavy criticism during consultative meetings.
Parents and guardians argued that CALAs were placing a heavy burden on learners.
Educationist Professor Caiphas Nziramasanga said: “Reviewing the curriculum is a good thing as the authorities will get to know where they performed better and where they failed.
“The curriculum needs to be broad in terms of subject offering and must also focus on learning areas and employment-related skills.
“Practical subjects must be implemented as early as the early childhood development (ECD) stage.”
While the curriculum review was a step in the right direction, he said, there was need to consider a complete overhaul of the entire education system.
“Advancement of technology at a global level must be embraced such that we see information and communication technologies in use in schools,” he said.
Online Reporter