Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Zimpapers Business Hub
UNITED College of Education (UCE) in Bulawayo has revealed plans to establish a practising school and a graduate consortium school as part of its Education 5.0 initiative.
A practising school takes the form of an ordinary school, owned by the college, where students are attached to practice what they learnt, while a consortium school is a type of school that participates in a collaborative network or consortium, which can take different forms; these can include groups of schools that share resources, focus on specific teaching methodologies.
UCE has since revealed that these two projects aim to equip graduates with the skills to create employment opportunities after completing their studies, shifting from job seekers to job creators.
The two projects are expected to require an investment of approximately US$10 million.
Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 model represents a significant paradigm shift in the country’s educational approach, addressing both societal needs and national economic priorities.
This framework is built on five critical pillars: teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation.
It aims to produce graduates equipped to drive industrial growth and tackle real-world challenges.
Since its official adoption in 2020, Education 5.0 has gradually transformed higher education institutions into vibrant hubs of innovation.
In an interview, UCE Vice-Principal Mr Alex Man’ozho said the need to introduce a practising school came when the then Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology
Development Professor Amon Murwira said all colleges must establish schools.
This saw UCE suggesting to have a practising school at the college premises, where Mr Man’ozho said the college has enough ground at the campus to establish such.
“The paperwork for the practising school is in place, so we sent it to Harare, because the Government then, the minister promised that if they get money, they can assist us and we can build the school,” said Mr Man’ozho.
“Everything is there in place, and then as far as the graduate consortium school is concerned, you remember we are now having a transformed curriculum where we are saying we abandoned the Education 3.0 and now we have embarked on Education 5.0.
“We are saying that when they are leaving colleges, they must not be job seekers; instead, they should create employment by establishing their own school under the administration of the college, and then they run that school, being guided by the college, but then it must be a consortium in such a way that these graduates have to come together.”
Mr Man’ozho said nine graduates from intake D20 have come together and requested the college to assist them in establishing a consortium school.
He said through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, UCE has managed to secure land in Pumula South to establish the proposed consortium school, with all paperwork in place.
“We got land for free from the Government, via the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. What is waiting now is to construct the school. Where will the funds come from now? Stuck, we were,” said the Vice-Principal.
However, Mr Man’ozho said the hopes to start the construction of the consortium school before the end of this year are still there, with the college exploring some funding initiatives through banks.
Meanwhile, Mr Man’ozho said UCE is running a practice school at its premises, which is only accommodating Early Childhood Development (ECD) A and B.
He said plans are that those who are supposed to go to grade one should be able to start at the new school, which will be developed in phases.
“So, our idea is to start with the one ECD block and then a Grade One block so that these ECD learners we have at the moment, straight away they move to Grade One from the ECDA, ECDB centre where we are housing them here,” said Mr Man’ozho.
“So, it will be in phases. But if the money comes at once, I want to believe all seven blocks from Grade One to Grade Seven will be there. And we can start a new school.”
