Zim needs education revolution

Professor Jonathan Moyo
There is now a need for a thorough going STEM revolution in Zimbabwe’s higher and tertiary education, science and technology development. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The revolution was initiated by His Excellency President RG Mugabe in September 2013 when he combined the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education with that of Science and Technology Development not to co-exist but to become one: with science and technology becoming the foundation of Higher and Tertiary Education.

President Mugabe, has led the STEM revolution by putting industrialisation through value addition and beneficiation as the strategy for consolidating the people’s power. The compelling point is that it is not possible to value add, beneficiate and industrialise without STEM: No STEM, no economic development!

As part of this revolution, our ministry is reviewing student enrolment policies for entry into higher and tertiary education, science and technology development institutions.

In particular the following proposals are being considered:

Recognising that there are different learning and careers as part of the STEM revolution, no student will be admitted to higher and tertiary education, science and technology development institutions without obtaining at least a grade of C in O-Level Mathematics and a Science subject among Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

No lecturers at polytechnics or teachers’ colleges without a Master’s degree and no lecturers at universities without a doctorate or equivalent qualification in their field.

The policy of having at least one state university per province to be complemented with a policy of having at least one polytechnic and one teachers college per province.

Government needs to urgently review funding of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. We need to put our money where our mouth is.

Formulate a new STEM driven strategic partnership between policy, research and industry.

The ministry is currently consulting within its ranks and across the higher and tertiary education and science and technology institutions to review the revolutionary implications of the STEM agenda on the sector and on industry.

Policy and legislative recommendations from this process will be presented to His Excellency the President before being tabled before the relevant organs of the State for further consideration and implementation in the corning year.

This is part of a presentation that the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development made at the just ended 15th Zanu-PF National people’s Conference in Victoria Falls.