MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-As the nation embarks on a curriculum review exercise with various stakeholders, Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda has urged the education ministries to develop a curriculum that recognizes indigenous languages.
Addressing academia stakeholders at the National Languages Institute, Midlands State University (MSU), Mudenda said there is need for a comprehensive education policy that propels the national languages framework.
“Ministries of education should embark on a rigorous curriculum development for the entire education sector in respect of the officially recognized indigenous languages.
“Internally and externally resource mobilization should be undertaken in order to have sufficient funding and ancillary resources for the implementation of the multilingual and multicultural education policy as well as propping up the national languages policy,” he said.
He added that concerted efforts are needed to train qualified teachers to teach the official indigenous languages at all levels of the education sector.
Advocate Mudenda’ s call comes at a time when the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry started consultations after the seven-year cycle of the Competence Based Curriculum Framework come to an end.
The review process will give stakeholders an opportunity to express their views and contribute towards the transformation of the country’s education sector.
The information to be gathered from various engagements is expected to inform the next curriculum framework to run from 2023 to 2030.
The Competence Based Curriculum Framework review process is carried out to improve the education system considering emerging national and global socio-economic trends.
It also shows government commitment towards providing equitable and inclusive quality education, as well as enforcing best international practices in the sector.
The competence based curriculum was first implemented in 2015 on the recommendations of Nziramasanga Commission which was set up in 1998 under the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training (CEIT).
It was meant to respond to changes in the education sector and increased learning areas with the aim of producing pupils with skills to solve problems instead of just theorizing issues.
The framework 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 as the education sector contributes towards Human Capital Development and Innovation.
