MARTIN MAWAYA
ZVIMBA-Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Tumisang Thabela has called on the media to report more on educational issues in order to keep the nation informed about the sector.
Thabela was speaking at the 2023 curriculum review media engagement workshop held at the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Management (ZIPAM) in Zvimba, Mashonaland West Province.
“As a ministry, we recognise that communication is a critical tool to keep the nation informed about the progress that government is making in pursuing its strategic and sustained agenda of producing relevant critical and skilled human capital that will drive Zimbabwe’s economy.
“As members of the media, you have a critical role to play in helping us communicate these messages and in promoting dialogues and discussions on this very important programme,” said Thabela.
On the Competence based Curriculum under review, whose seven year cycle ended in 2022, Thabela said it will inform the bases of the next curriculum framework for 2023 to 2030.
The model was positioned to provide a sustainable base for the production of critical and human capital that will propel the country into an upper middle income by 2030, she said.
Thabela added that education contributes towards Human Capital Development and Innovation; hence it’s imperative that the curriculum is configured to fulfil the intended goals.
The permanent secretary also highlighted that “the curriculum review will be conducted against set criteria to determine relevance and quality, based on national priorities in line with the dictates of the National Development Strategy 1 and other national policy documents, as well as best practices and international trends in education”.
She pointed out that the new assessment model is aligned to learner’s different abilities and flairs, including skills, inherent talents, values and other achievements both in and out of class.
On the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALAs), Thabela said the concept which has become a key part of how learners performance are measured will also be reviewed to ensure it is in line with the education aspirations of the country. She said in reviewing the curriculum framework, the ministry will also consider what the curriculum has contributed to equity and inclusivity in the attainment of quality education as well as climate change issues focusing on learning in
