Source: ‘Govt concerned over neglect of indigenous languages, technical subjects’ – herald
Debra Matabvu
THE recent policy shift, where the Government has made it mandatory for all schools, including private and trust institutions, to implement the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC), seeks to align with the country’s vision and development aspirations, especially in the wake of revelations that some schools are neglecting Zimbabwe’s history and indigenous languages, as well as technical and vocational subjects.
The Government is, however, confident that examination classes in all primary and secondary schools across the country will be ready to sit the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) tests by November next year.
Mandatory implementation of the HBC in all schools is understood to have begun in March.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said workshops are being conducted, particularly in private and trust schools, to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
Cabinet recently approved the HBC as the core national syllabus from next year, with foreign curricula such as the Cambridge International Education pathway to be offered only as an optional add-on subject to approval by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Zimbabwe’s education system presently operates under three main curricula. The Government, council and mission schools primarily teach the HBC. Some private and trust schools offer both the HBC and the Cambridge curriculum, formally administered by Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Also, the Harare International School and a few other institutions follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) route. The IB, a non-profit educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, offers a globally recognised programme mainly catering for expatriate and diplomatic communities.
The three curricula differ in orientation and focus.
“Our indigenous languages, which include Shona, Ndebele, Kalanga, Shangani and Tonga, are not taught in many ATS (Association of Trust Schools) institutions. They are now learning French, Chinese and no longer learning our local languages. Most of the independent colleges and private schools are not offering technical and vocational subjects, which are offered by the HBC,” Minister Moyo said.
“It is important to offer the Heritage-Based Curriculum because it is aligned with the national vision of the President, Vision 2030. The Presidential vision can only be achieved or attained through the power of education, through the HBC.”
Minister Moyo said the Government has been engaging with schools on the matter since the beginning of the year.
“We have given a directive to all schools in Zimbabwe that starting in 2027 it becomes mandatory for them to introduce the Heritage-Based Curriculum examinations administered by ZIMSEC,” he said.
“We have a Cabinet approval to the effect that all schools — Government, private institutions — should offer ZIMSEC examinations. This directive arises from the Education Act, Chapter 25, Section 63, which states that there shall be one curriculum in Zimbabwe. The implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum in the so-called private schools has already begun. We started the exercise in March after an engagement meeting that was held in February at the University of Zimbabwe. The chief director in charge of Curriculum Development and Technical Services is heading the workshops that are being conducted in all schools, independent colleges and private schools. The only school that has been exempted is the Harare International School, which houses mostly diplomats’ children. However, for other schools, the directive is that schools should register for the ZIMSEC examinations in 2027. There is enough time for students to prepare for the 2027 November examinations.”
Going forward, Minister Moyo added, schools that intend to offer two or more curricula will have to seek permission from the ministry.
“We have not banned international examinations like Cambridge or Baccalaureate,” he added.
“However, if schools want to offer two curricula — HBC and Cambridge — they must first register for ZIMSEC and then later on register for Cambridge. They should be granted permission by the Secretary for Education. They need to write to the ministry seeking permission to offer both curricula or curriculums and to justify how content coverage will be done.”
Turning to preparations for the second term, which begins on Tuesday, Minister Moyo said adequate preparations have already been made, especially after completion of teacher deployments, as well as distribution of textbooks and learning materials during the holidays.
“Our overall assessment across all 10 provinces is that schools are adequately prepared,” he added.
“In terms of staffing, we have worked with the Public Service Commission to ensure that teacher deployments are in place, and we are addressing residual gaps through redeployment.
“The distribution of textbooks and core learning materials, funded through the Treasury and our partners, was completed during the holidays. On infrastructure, our district teams have confirmed that critical WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) facilities are functional, and emergency repairs have been carried out where Cyclone-damaged classrooms were reported last season. We are ready for learning to commence without delay.”
In an attempt to bridge the rural-urban divide, the Government has since installed Starlink internet in over 8 000 rural secondary schools under the ongoing computerisation programme.
“Phase Two of the computerisation programme is on course. To date, several schools have received computer labs, and of these, some are connected to the internet through the national broadband project. We have prioritised connectivity in rural areas, and over 8 000 rural secondary schools now have functional internet through Starlink. The target this year is to connect additional schools with support from our partners.”
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