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Zimbabwe pushes schools to drop colonial-era names
2 hrs ago |
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GOVERNMENT schools with colonial-era names are moving to adopt new identities as part of efforts to align with Zimbabwe's heritage-based education framework and remove symbols linked to the country's colonial past.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said the renaming process would be gradual and conducted through consultations involving parents, alumni and local communities.
Speaking in a recent interview, Minister Moyo said the initiative forms part of broader efforts to reshape Zimbabwe's national narrative and strengthen cultural identity within the education system.
"Government's position is that the rewriting of our narrative and the removal of colonial symbols, including school names that glorify a painful past, is a national imperative," said Minister Moyo.
"However, this will be a consultative, school-by-school process involving parents, alumni and local communities."
He said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education was developing guidelines to ensure that new school names reflect indigenous heroes, local landmarks and national values.
"The ministry is developing guidelines to ensure names reflect indigenous heroes, local landmarks and national values," he said.
"There will be no blanket immediate directive; it is a phased, participatory programme."
The move comes as Government intensifies implementation of heritage-based education, an approach designed to promote Zimbabwean history, culture, traditions and indigenous knowledge systems within schools and institutions of learning.
Supporters of the initiative argue that retaining colonial-era school names undermines efforts to build a strong national identity rooted in the country's liberation history and cultural heritage.
However, the proposed changes are expected to spark debate among some alumni associations and communities attached to long-established school identities and traditions.
Authorities say consultations will determine how individual schools proceed with the renaming process.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said the renaming process would be gradual and conducted through consultations involving parents, alumni and local communities.
Speaking in a recent interview, Minister Moyo said the initiative forms part of broader efforts to reshape Zimbabwe's national narrative and strengthen cultural identity within the education system.
"Government's position is that the rewriting of our narrative and the removal of colonial symbols, including school names that glorify a painful past, is a national imperative," said Minister Moyo.
"However, this will be a consultative, school-by-school process involving parents, alumni and local communities."
He said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education was developing guidelines to ensure that new school names reflect indigenous heroes, local landmarks and national values.
"There will be no blanket immediate directive; it is a phased, participatory programme."
The move comes as Government intensifies implementation of heritage-based education, an approach designed to promote Zimbabwean history, culture, traditions and indigenous knowledge systems within schools and institutions of learning.
Supporters of the initiative argue that retaining colonial-era school names undermines efforts to build a strong national identity rooted in the country's liberation history and cultural heritage.
However, the proposed changes are expected to spark debate among some alumni associations and communities attached to long-established school identities and traditions.
Authorities say consultations will determine how individual schools proceed with the renaming process.
Source - online
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