Education Minister Says CALA Now Up For Review

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Evelyn Ndlovu said that her ministry will soon engage stakeholders to review the Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (CALA) curriculum.

Ndlovu revealed this while speaking during the National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) conference in Victoria Falls on Tuesday. She said:

As you are all aware, our curriculum has run its course — that is from 2015 to 2022 — and it is now up for review.

Shortly the ministry will involve all stakeholders in the country for their input.

Parents and guardians have over the years been calling for the scrapping of CALA saying most of them cannot afford materials needed by children to successfully carry out projects.

Speaking at the same NAPH conference, NAPH president Cynthia Khumalo who is the head of Chinotimba Primary School in Victoria Falls proposed that Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (CALA) projects for Grade Six learners be scrapped as they are burdening pupils with too much work. Khumalo said:

Continuous Assessment Learning Activity is an excellent way of assessing the learners but its administration needs fine-tuning. The scenario where a 13-year-old produces 30 projects is on the higher side.

At university, only one project is produced and so we suggest that one component per subject is enough starting at Grade Seven level.

This year’s conference was held under the theme Facing the Future in the New Normal. | NewsDay