admin
Peter Matika
Bulawayo Bureau
TEACHER education colleges are instrumental in driving Zimbabwe’s transformation into an upper middle-income economy by 2030, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira has said.
He emphasised the critical role of these institutions in equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and values essential for national development and innovation.
Speaking during the 66th Hillside Teachers College Graduation ceremony in Bulawayo yesterday, where 224 students graduated, Prof Murwira highlighted that the thrust of the Second Republic is to deliver Heritage-Based Education 5.0.
This approach focuses on developing graduates with the right knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make the nation formidable.
This year’s event was held under the theme “Transformative Teacher Education for Accelerated Innovation and Industrialisation”.
“A formidable nation is the envy of other nations because it satisfies the needs of its own people. Teachers are no longer designed just to stand in front of a class but to explore the whole education value chain through ideation to industrialisation.
“The Second Republic is ready to support graduates who want to start their own schools. Those who want to start industries in the education value chain shall also be supported,.
He said the Government must provide the necessary legal and financial support to enable graduates to develop businesses, thereby creating employment for themselves and others.
Prof Murwira noted that industries and businesses do not fall from the sky; they are created by people, particularly graduates. This year’s theme underscores the critical role that education, particularly teacher education, plays in shaping a prosperous future grounded in innovation and industrialisation.
“Colleges have come on board to join the drive of the national development agenda. The Mutare Teachers College Fruit Juice and Water Processing plant, recently commissioned by His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe, Dr ED Mnangagwa, is a shining example of how our educational institutions are adapting to the needs of the modern era and providing practical solutions to the problems faced by our communities.”
Prof Murwira said Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions (HTEIs) are producing new industries and companies that are promoting rural industrialisation and creating jobs.
“With support from the government, our teachers’ college graduates are starting consortium schools under the Second Republic’s Graduate Employment Creation initiative; Zimbabwe Graduate Employment Creation and Development Programme. Through this programme, graduates of Teachers Colleges and the Colleges themselves are in a good position to provide the nation with the best, reasonably priced educational institutions,” Prof Murwira said.
Furthermore, he said the Government is implementing the Integrated Skills Outreach Expansion Programme (ISOEP), which focuses on equipping citizens with practical and applicable skills that enable them to produce goods and services.
He said the initiative aligns perfectly with the vision for a progressive and self-reliant nation.
“We challenge all Tertiary Education Institutions to reach out to our local communities and equip them with technical skills. It is our desire that every Zimbabwean positively contributes towards national economic and social development.
“In our pursuit of Vision 2030, we are working hard to ensure that education is accessible to everyone. The Government has implemented the ‘Work for Fees’ programme. This programme assists genuine cases of students who cannot afford to pay fees,” said Prof Murwira.
He explained that the programme provides a platform where students engage in work opportunities within their institutions, and the institution pays for the student’s fees.
“Through this programme, we are ensuring that education remains accessible to all, aligning with the mantra, ‘leaving no one and no place behind’,” he said.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda