News / National
Disband colonial education replicas; Mnangagwa warns SADC
15 Aug 2024 at 18:05hrs | Views
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has challenged Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders and representatives of member states' respective educational institutions to disband curriculum infrastructure that symbolises colonial elements, calling on absolute transformation through innovation and industrialisation.
Addressing several guests drawn from institutions of higher education and learning this Thursday during the 7th SADC Summit Public Lecture held at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Mnangagwa appealed for SADC states to be innovators of solutions which suit within indigenous context.
"As long as the education system in our region remains skewed towards the past colonial architecture, it cannot adequately leap-frog the industrialisation of SADC," Mnangagwa challenges.
"We must therefore transform the educational space to produce innovators and industrialists equipped with skills and competencies that develop products to meet the needs of our people," Mnangagwa added.
"In Zimbabwe, our Heritage-based Education 5.0 Philosophy embraces research, innovation and industrialisation as important mandates for all levels of the education sector. This focuses on our God given natural and cultural endowments to drive development," Mnangagwa said.
"The appropriate research and innovation are fundamental to the advancement of both our domestic and regional development agenda. With the correct configuration of our education, innovation, science and technology ecosystems, we can unlock maximum value from our natural resources and human capacities," Mnangagwa notes.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that the change of the education framework has seen his Government setting aside a specific budget for innovation, research and development.
He also added that policies have been crafted to ring-fence and provide funds to support the emerging innovation ecosystems.
"This has resulted in the establishment of Innovation Hubs, Industrial Parks, Science Parks and Incubation Centres across all institutions of higher education," Mnangagwa said.
"Through the new education framework, our young people in the universities and colleges have exhibited immense capabilities, zeal and determination towards building a modern and industrialised Zimbabwe," Mnangagwa said.
Zimbabwean government has increased the number of Teacher Training Colleges that produce science teachers to ensure that all schools, in particular, those in the remote areas, offer science and ICT based learning in the last five years.
Emphasising on educational inclusivity regardless of geography, Mnangagwa declared that no place and no child is being left behind; claiming this has ultimately broadened the pool of students transitioning to Colleges and Universities, following the science and technology pathways.
"In this way, we are building the critical mass of scientists and technologists to deliver an Innovation led and knowledge-based economy," Mnangagwa said.
"Further, our heritage-based education diversified innovation ecosystems by strengthening linkages between the academia, industry and commerce," Mnangagwa added.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said this transformative education system has started to bear fruit as witnessed by the emergence of various innovations and patents as new forms of assets.
The 7th SADC Summit Public Lecture is one of the precursors to the 44th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government to be held here in Harare (16th - 17th of August 2024).
It was held under the theme, “Building Research Capacity and Innovation Ecosystems for a Sustainable Industrialised SADC Economy”, which is an apt call to action and encapsulates the need for new paradigms of education to leap frog the modernisation, industrialisation and wholistic development of SADC, anchored on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The Public Lecture affords the peoples of SADC the opportunity to reflect and sharpen strategies to accelerate collective vision towards deepening regional integration as well as economic development for shared prosperity.
Addressing several guests drawn from institutions of higher education and learning this Thursday during the 7th SADC Summit Public Lecture held at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Mnangagwa appealed for SADC states to be innovators of solutions which suit within indigenous context.
"As long as the education system in our region remains skewed towards the past colonial architecture, it cannot adequately leap-frog the industrialisation of SADC," Mnangagwa challenges.
"We must therefore transform the educational space to produce innovators and industrialists equipped with skills and competencies that develop products to meet the needs of our people," Mnangagwa added.
"In Zimbabwe, our Heritage-based Education 5.0 Philosophy embraces research, innovation and industrialisation as important mandates for all levels of the education sector. This focuses on our God given natural and cultural endowments to drive development," Mnangagwa said.
"The appropriate research and innovation are fundamental to the advancement of both our domestic and regional development agenda. With the correct configuration of our education, innovation, science and technology ecosystems, we can unlock maximum value from our natural resources and human capacities," Mnangagwa notes.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that the change of the education framework has seen his Government setting aside a specific budget for innovation, research and development.
He also added that policies have been crafted to ring-fence and provide funds to support the emerging innovation ecosystems.
"This has resulted in the establishment of Innovation Hubs, Industrial Parks, Science Parks and Incubation Centres across all institutions of higher education," Mnangagwa said.
Zimbabwean government has increased the number of Teacher Training Colleges that produce science teachers to ensure that all schools, in particular, those in the remote areas, offer science and ICT based learning in the last five years.
Emphasising on educational inclusivity regardless of geography, Mnangagwa declared that no place and no child is being left behind; claiming this has ultimately broadened the pool of students transitioning to Colleges and Universities, following the science and technology pathways.
"In this way, we are building the critical mass of scientists and technologists to deliver an Innovation led and knowledge-based economy," Mnangagwa said.
"Further, our heritage-based education diversified innovation ecosystems by strengthening linkages between the academia, industry and commerce," Mnangagwa added.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said this transformative education system has started to bear fruit as witnessed by the emergence of various innovations and patents as new forms of assets.
The 7th SADC Summit Public Lecture is one of the precursors to the 44th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government to be held here in Harare (16th - 17th of August 2024).
It was held under the theme, “Building Research Capacity and Innovation Ecosystems for a Sustainable Industrialised SADC Economy”, which is an apt call to action and encapsulates the need for new paradigms of education to leap frog the modernisation, industrialisation and wholistic development of SADC, anchored on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The Public Lecture affords the peoples of SADC the opportunity to reflect and sharpen strategies to accelerate collective vision towards deepening regional integration as well as economic development for shared prosperity.
Source - Byo24News
