Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo has directed all schools in Zimbabwe to fully implement the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) from next year, warning that institutions that fail to comply risk deregistration and closure.
Addressing delegates at the ongoing National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) annual conference in Victoria
Falls yesterday, Minister Moyo said the Heritage-Based Curriculum is critical for the country’s education transformation agenda and a key driver of Vision 2030.
“The curriculum is determined by Government. For the vision of the President to be successful, we do it through the power of education and that is why everyone must implement the Heritage-Based Curriculum,” he said.
“Starting next year, every school in this country should implement the Heritage-Based Curriculum, which is aligned with the national vision of the President. Those who do not comply will not be allowed to continue operating.”
Minister Moyo clarified that Government is not banning international examination bodies such as Cambridge International Education, but stressed that they cannot replace Zimbabwe’s national curriculum.
“Cambridge is welcome, but it cannot substitute the Heritage-Based Curriculum. Every school operating in Zimbabwe must first comply with the national curriculum,” he said.
Minister Moyo said the country is moving away from an education system centred on rote learning towards one that equips learners with practical skills, innovation and entrepreneurship.
As part of the reforms, Minister Moyo said that by 2028 every learner will be required to pass at least one indigenous language from Grade Seven through to advanced levels.
“Every student in this country, come 2028, must have passed an indigenous language of his or her choice. At every level, it is now compulsory,” he said.
The minister said the move follows concerns that some schools have continued to prioritise foreign languages at the expense of Zimbabwe’s indigenous languages and cultural heritage.
He said the HBC seeks to root education in Zimbabwe’s history, culture and the values of Hunhu/Ubuntu while dismantling remnants of the colonial education system that alienated learners from their identity.
Minister Moyo noted that the country’s education reforms have already attracted continental recognition, with the African union describing the country’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model as a potential blueprint for education transformation across Africa.
The curriculum integrates local knowledge systems with modern education by encouraging learners to identify challenges within their communities and develop practical solutions.
The minister cited examples of learners already repairing electrical faults, undertaking motor mechanics projects and generating income through skills acquired in school.
“The objective is to produce job creators rather than job seekers. Schools must utilise locally available resources to nurture innovation, entrepreneurship and problem-solving,” he said.
At secondary school level, the curriculum places greater emphasis on vocational and technical education, including agriculture, information and communication technology, engineering-related subjects and physical education, allowing learners to pursue pathways suited to their interests and career aspirations.
To support the transition, Government is rolling out 8,000 Starlink internet connectivity kits, donated through President Mnangagwa’s initiative, to improve digital access in schools nationwide.
Minister Moyo said the ministry has also trained more than 500 teachers in coding and robotics while securing US$2 million from UNICEF to procure teaching materials and digital learning resources.
He said the Zimbabwe Learning Passport, a free online learning platform, is helping bridge the digital divide by connecting learners in remote communities with quality educational content.
Minister Moyo also revealed that Cambridge International Education has engaged the First Lady, Dr Auxillia
Mnangagwa and officials from his ministry to explore the incorporation of aspects of Heritage-Based Education 5.0 philosophy into its international curriculum.
He said Government has completed key preparations for the first Heritage-Based Curriculum public examinations, with syllabi and teachers’ guides already distributed to schools across the country.
