Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into education and training

Abstract

Zimbabwe stands at a special moment in its history. In 2001 the nation comes of age, celebrating 2l years of independence. That same moment in history will be the beginning of the Third Millennium. This heralds a new dawn for education and training in Zimbabwe. It is time for review and change. Great strides have been made in education since Independence. Educational access has increased significantly. Compared to 1980, there are now (1999) three times as many children in primary schools and twelve times as many in secondary schools. We now have 13 technical and vocational training colleges. About three thousand students graduate each year compared to three hundred who graduated in 1980. These massive improvements have been made as a result of bold policies and substantial investments by the government and the nation. They have produced a finn base for the future. That future will be challenging. We have to develop our inner strengths, our technology, economy and our social systems so that we can build our nation and can be competitive in the global village ofthe 21st century. However it has become apparent that the current education system is not capable of facilitating the achievement of these aspirations. In 1998, the State President, the Honourable R.G. Mugabe, established the Commission to review the entire education and training system at all levels. The Commission conducted a nation-wide consultation. In addition, it commissioned studies by specialists to cover certain key areas of education and training. Workshops and roundtable discussions were conducted with industry and commerce, religious groups and other stakeholders. This process gave a comprehensive picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the current system. Strong recommendations were submitted on urgent changes to the system of Education and Training. The Commission has analysed and discussed all views given and presents recommendations to the Government in this report. These recommendations are radical, perhaps contentious and in some cases, demanding • radical, because of the complete revamping of the system, with an outcomes based approach. • contentious, because of a proposed change in the education structure and the examination system. • demanding, because there will be need for more resources and funding to deliver quality education that is relevant. The central proposal is to overhaul the curriculum at all levels in order to make it relevant to the needs of the country and the individual learner. Among the major proposals are to: • guarantee 9 years of Basic Education for every child and the encouragement to extend education beyond this • provide access to education at all levels, from pre-school to tertiary and life-long education • develop good citizenship and the philosophy ofunhulubuntu • promote the development of indigenous languages • develop skills required to make the most of the information and communications technologies which is changing our lives and the way we do our work • promote practical skills in primary school; the introduction of vocational education followed by vocational training in secondary school, leading on to a range of qualifications in different occupation areas: professional, academic, practical and technical • provide guidance and counselling • give special attention to marginalised groups such as the girl child, the disabled and children in especially difficult circumstances • set up education structures which ensure good quality education and efficient management of resources