Stay positive in the wake of chaos, learners urged

Nkosinathi Sibanda, Sunday News Reporter
THE effects of the recurrent lockdowns that dealt a blow on the education system must not deter learners from asserting their goals through education.

This was said by renowned educationist and businessman Mr Clemence Kunzekweguta at a career guidance workshop for pupils from various primary and secondary schools within the Bulawayo central district, held last week on Friday.

Coming on the heels of the opening of schools countrywide, the workshop was aimed at realigning pupils in the city on the rightful career opportunities to take on. Most pupils countrywide last had an opportunity of career guidance interactions in 2019, the last full term schooling calendar, before Covid-19 lockdowns set in 2020.

As guided by the education curriculum, which advocates for a scientific and practical approach to life’s needs, pupils need regular guidance to employment and entrepreneurial endeavour. Mr Kunzekweguta told the pupils who had gathered at the Townsend High School grounds that they had to maintain a positive attitude that “rubber-stamps” on being productive in face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“If you think you can, you can. Hopefulness in yourselves and confidence about the future breeds success and fulfilment. Positive thinking can change everything in your life,” he said.

Mr Kunzekweguta, who is also the proprietor of Zero Supplies, heaped praise on the country’s education system, but warned  the pupils to guard against having a defeatist mentality in sorting out their career choices.

“The prudence of the education system is to expose learners to all sorts of disciplines in the curricular so that they identify their areas of interest and excellence, it’s not to ridicule learners and chuck them out of the school system as failures. The school system tells us that we don’t have the talent, the intellect, skills or ability to achieve our greatness. This is constantly hammered in us every term, year in year out until we believe that we are failures. It is not so.

“In fact, our education system is such that at Ordinary Level, only about 20-25 percent of learners are deemed successful while the rest are doomed. They are labelled as failures. This has impacted negatively on our graduates such that they leave school dejected. That has to change on you. Lack of ambition is the greatest disability, in fact it is the only disability, “Mr Kunzekweguta said, much to the appreciation of the pupils and their teachers at the workshop.

Meanwhile, Mr Kunzekweguta, a key advocate for entrepreneurship, has advised schools and universities to come up with relevant learning programmes that address the needs of the country.

He has championed the cause for education institutions to train the learners on solving  industrial and social needs.
“We need an education system that addresses the needs and wants of the people of today, we cannot continue to offer an education that is just academic. In other words, our education should address the needs and wants of commerce and industry. If we find out what commerce and industry requires then we know what skills to impart to our children,” he said.