Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika [email protected]
THE African union Commission on Education has commended Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Curriculum and recommended that other African countries consider adopting the model, citing its emphasis on practical skills, critical thinking and problem-solving.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Torerayi Moyo revealed this in the National Assembly yesterday while responding to a question from Masvingo South legislator Cde Tanatsiwa Mukomberi.
The question sought clarification on measures being taken by Government to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, expand Technical and Vocational
Education and Training (TVET), and ensure the teaching of agriculture in schools.
“The Heritage-Based Curriculum is very important because we inculcate critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills in our learners. We endeavour to give life skills to our students because of the importance of the Heritage-Based Curriculum. The African union Commission on Education has recommended that the entire African continent should follow the example of Zimbabwe.”
Dr Moyo added that the Heritage-Based Curriculum had also attracted international interest, including from the United Kingdom, where it had impressed King Charles III due to similarities with his Harmony Philosophy, which promotes a close relationship between people and their local environment, including its geography, flora and fauna.
In April, Mr Richard Dunne, director of the UK-based Harmony Project inspired by King Charles III, visited Zimbabwe to gain a better understanding of the country’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 philosophy and explore potential areas of collaboration.
Dr Moyo said the curriculum was also aligned with Zimbabwe’s development agenda and President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, which seeks to transform the country into an upper-middle-income economy.
He said education remained a key driver of national development and the most effective means of improving the livelihoods of citizens through the creation of opportunities for young people.
“It is also a driver of economic development and economic growth. We have embarked on several initiatives to ensure that education should produce goods and services that our people need. If education fails to produce goods and services that our people need, that education is useless,” he said.
Dr Moyo added that TVET was one of the cornerstone pillars of the Heritage-Based Curriculum, with technical and vocational skills being progressively introduced from infant education through to Advanced Level.
