News / Education
'Zimbabwe education system outdated'
23 Jul 2014 at 14:15hrs | Views
Josia Hungwe, the minister of State for Liaising on Psychomotor Activities in Education, yesterday in Senate said Zimbabwe's education system is outdated because it emphasises scholars' cognitive development at the expense of life skills.
Hungwe told the thematic committee on Millennium Development Goals that Zimbabwe's education system was not addressing the needs of the labour market.
"We aim to produce graduates with crucial survival skills, skills to create self-jobs as well as employment for others," Hungwe said.
"When you do not have skills in your blood, in Kenya they say you are a limping goat.
"This type of education is called the 21st Century system that takes cognisance of the fact that being educated is not only about having degrees but necessary skills."
Hungwe said the country should move from the 17th Century way of doing things where the biggest question of the time was how educated someone was in terms of degrees to the modern era where what matters most is what one can do.
He said there was need to retrain teachers particularly those who specialised in Early Childhood Development, arguing that the current crop of educators was not tailor-made to impart vocational skills training simultaneously with academics to schoolchildren.
Hungwe told the committee, chaired by Senator Chief Matshe Khumalo, that his ministry's vision was to foster skills development in schools and tertiary institutions.
The former Masvingo governor appealed for funds from the International Labour Organisation and the World Bank, which he said had indicated a willingness to assist.
"We are facing funding challenges notwithstanding the determination we have to succeed," Hungwe said.
"We need partners both locally and internationally. We will have to approach the institutions and tell them that we have now started what you said was your baby but it all depends on how we approach them."
Hungwe told the thematic committee on Millennium Development Goals that Zimbabwe's education system was not addressing the needs of the labour market.
"We aim to produce graduates with crucial survival skills, skills to create self-jobs as well as employment for others," Hungwe said.
"When you do not have skills in your blood, in Kenya they say you are a limping goat.
"This type of education is called the 21st Century system that takes cognisance of the fact that being educated is not only about having degrees but necessary skills."
Hungwe said the country should move from the 17th Century way of doing things where the biggest question of the time was how educated someone was in terms of degrees to the modern era where what matters most is what one can do.
He said there was need to retrain teachers particularly those who specialised in Early Childhood Development, arguing that the current crop of educators was not tailor-made to impart vocational skills training simultaneously with academics to schoolchildren.
Hungwe told the committee, chaired by Senator Chief Matshe Khumalo, that his ministry's vision was to foster skills development in schools and tertiary institutions.
The former Masvingo governor appealed for funds from the International Labour Organisation and the World Bank, which he said had indicated a willingness to assist.
"We are facing funding challenges notwithstanding the determination we have to succeed," Hungwe said.
"We need partners both locally and internationally. We will have to approach the institutions and tell them that we have now started what you said was your baby but it all depends on how we approach them."
Source - dailynews
