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The Herald April 1, 1980
THE Minister of Education and Culture, Mr Dzingai Mutumbuka, said it would be unfair to pupils and their parents if changes were made in community schools before they could be justified.
“I don’t know why community schools are in existence and I feel that they have taken a retrogressive step from being Government schools,” he said in an interview.
The Minister said he did not know enough about the present system with its different schools to plan his changes.
“If there are any changes or no changes in the whole education system, they must be justified. I would prefer it if there were only Government schools, but that would be impossible.”
Private schools in Rhodesia are protected by the Constitution drawn up at Lancaster House. “The Constitution is very specific on that point,” said Mr Mutumbuka, “after all, it is their freedom to send their children to high fee-paying schools or church schools, if they want them to grow up in that sort of environment.”
He said the education system in this country was very complicated, more so than the British education system.
“Amalgamating the two divisions, which have very little in common, will pose a big problem which has to be studied in detail before it is finalised.”
Mr Mutumbuka said there would obviously be changes in the school syllabus, or the children would stagnate.
“There are developments all the time, because we live in changing times.”
He felt that one of the priority changes should be that all children grow up learning more than one language. Many of the children grow up with Shona only, he said and since English is the official language they would only benefit with a second language.
The Minister said he would work hard to give the country the best education system possible.
“The most important resource of the country is its people, and we will do our best to prepare them for the future.”
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter