New Education Curriculum Zimbabwe

Compulsory Subjects

• Agriculture
• Physical Education and Sport and Mass Display
• General Science
• Mathematics
• Indigenous Languages
• English Language
• Heritage Studies
  
  

After these 7 compulsory languages, students will be allowed to choose three more elective subjects. Those students who wish to increase the number of subjects will be allowed to add an additional 2 subjects, meaning they will be choosing 5 subjects.

Elective Subjects

• Computer Science
• Geography
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Additional Mathematics
• Pure Mathematics
• Statistics
• History
• Sociology
• Economic History
• Family and Religious Studies.
  
  

• Business and Enterprise Skills
• Commerce
• Commercial Studies
• Economics
• Principles of Accounts
• Building Technology and Design Forms,
• Design and Technology
• Food Technology
• Metal Technology and Design
• Home Management and Design
• Technical Graphics and Design
• Textile Technology and Design
• Wood Technology and Design
• Art
• Dance
• Musical and theatre ^[1]
  
  

The new curriculum also advocates for the introduction of industrial attachment for students after their Ordinary Level studies.^[2]

Preparation and implementation

First and second phases

The first two phases of the implementation of the new curriculum began in 2017 with training in syllabus interpretation for teachers and supervisors taking the following classes in 2018:

• ECD ‘B’,
• Grade Two
• Grade Four
• Form Two
• Form Four
• Form Six^[2]

Phase Three

This will be enacted in 2018, with the further implementation of the syllabuses for the classes mentioned in first and second phases and interpretation of the syllabuses to teachers.^[2]

Phase Four

This will take place in 2019 and will focus on implementation and syllabus interpretation for teachers taking Grade Six and extending into 2020 for Form Four.^[2]

Phase Five

This will take place in 2021 and will start with the implementation of the new curriculum for Grade Six and Form Four. There will also be training in syllabus interpretation for supervisors and teachers taking Grade Seven classes in 2021

Phase Six

This is scheduled for 2021 and involves the implementation of the first Junior School Examinations at Grade Seven.

Phase Seven

This is scheduled for 2022 will see the full scale implementation of the new curriculum.

The curriculum will follow a seven-year continuous assessment and monitoring cycle to analyse its strengths and weaknesses.

Criticism

Minister Lazarus Dokora received a lot of criticism for the manner in which he implemented the New Curriculum. Reasons for the criticism include but are not limited to:

• Inadequate consultation
• Limited time to implement the new curriculum
• New Curriculum requires resources which some schools cannot afford
• Teacher and Headmasters claimed that they were yet to see the final syllabuses yet the new curriculum was in progress.
• Teachers and Headmasters also claimed that they were yet to receive new textbooks and learning material for the new curriculum
  
  

Former Minister of Educator Senator David Coltart said:

I’m deeply concerned about what my successor is doing to education ^[3]

The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) released a statement through president, Takavafira Zhou saying:

In a rushed and unrealistic move, the Primary and Secondary Education ministry has announced that a new curriculum must be implemented with effect from next Tuesday

This move is not only intransigent and callous, but also a monumental injustice, impermeable to reason and facts. Fundamentally, the syllabi are not readily available in schools. The teaching material or textbooks for the new curricula are not readily available, yet there are completely new subjects that have been introduced such as Heritage Studies and Economic History. Above all, teachers, as key implementers of the new curriculum, have not received the adequate in-service training necessary for the immediate implementation ^[4]

Yet surprisingly, ministry officials are calling for wholesale implementation at primary and secondary schools. It is clear that the implementation of the new curriculum is haphazardly rushed and neither rural nor urban schools are prepared for a smooth take-off of the new curricula. The new curriculum has great emphasis on information and communication technology (ICT), yet the ministry has not taken any contingent measures to close the ICT gulf between urban and rural schools or even training of teachers so that they are not deskilled by the new curriculum. PTUZ urges education officials to mellow down to a more constructive approach in which there is engagement with teachers, in-service training, production of teaching material and other contingent measures before implementation of any reforms in the education sector. It is tantamount to cold and calculated educational vandalism and is a wrong prescription for the educational challenges in Zimbabwe. Sadly, Dokora and his lieutenants will arbitrarily muddle and meddle through, as has become fashionable in their style of management. ^[4]

PTUZ Matabeleland South chairperson, Urgent Moyo said:

In the long run, rural schools will suffer most given the disparity in ICT between rural and urban schools and the inclination of the new curricula to ICTs. It remains a mystery how education officials plan to close such a gulf,” he said. “The ministry should have conducted a survey on the readiness of rural schools to commence this new curriculum on current resources. Most rural schools are struggling to computerise. ^[4]

Zimbabwe Christian Alliance leader, Useni Sibanda said:

Dokora rushed to implement the curriculum, this needs to be opposed by citizens. These are our children, we need to have a thorough input into what will be taught.^[3]

Fortunate Dube, a parent who spoke to NewsDay said:

The worst of them all since 1980. Senseless. No textbooks for that new curriculum, no preparation for teachers for that new curriculum. How are they going to implement it effectively? His head needs to be examined immediately otherwise he will drag down the whole education system with him. It’s time to stop him before he becomes a serious fool^[3]

References