Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
THERE is no going back in the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the country’s tertiary institutions, a senior government official has said.
Giving his keynote address at the Hillside Teachers’ College’s 67th graduation ceremony, which was held at the institution’s campus on Thursday, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation and Technology Development Simelisizwe Sibanda noted government’s commitment towards the teaching of STEM subjects.
The Deputy Minister capped 325 graduands, of which 227 were females and 98 males.
“It is pleasing to note that 150 of these graduands are graduating in STEM disciplines. It is heartening to note that this college continues to contribute meaningfully to the Government’s vision of advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in our nation,” said Dep Minister Sibanda.
He, however, said while celebrations may be in order regards the achievement, the college must continue to devise strategies and incentives that will further boost enrolment and completion rates in these critical areas, with particular emphasis on supporting and inspiring the girl child to confidently pursue STEM pathways.
“I am reliably informed that the college facilitated the participation of some female students in the Women in STEM expo. This inspires and encourages female participation in STEM,” said Deputy Minister Sibanda.
He said the graduation ceremony was not merely to mark an academic milestone, but to celebrate the blossoming of promise, purpose, and possibility.
Deputy Minister Sibanda said the ceremony is a symbolic convergence of achievement and aspiration, where the fruits of intellectual labour meet the seeds of national transformation.
“Our chosen theme, ‘Heritage-Based Teacher Education: Commercializing Innovations for National Development’, speaks profoundly to our collective vision as a nation steeped in cultural richness and poised for forward-looking progress. It is a clarion call to reimagine education not as a static transmission of knowledge, but as a dynamic force rooted in identity, creativity, and enterprise,” he said.
The Deputy Minister hailed the graduands as torchbearers of a new educational paradigm, an embodiment of national aspirations, and the journey reflects the transformative power of heritage-based learning. He said the gathering stands as a living testament to the vibrancy of the African heritage, the fertile soil from which the educational philosophies and pedagogies draw sustenance.
“I wish to reaffirm the ethos of Heritage-Based Education philosophy that anchors learners in their cultural foundations while simultaneously equipping them to navigate the shifting terrain of global progress. Under the Second Republic, this philosophy weaves together the threads of national identity, industrialisation, and modernisation,” said Deputy Minister Sibanda
