Story by Tamuka Charakupa
The Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe held its Mashonaland West Provincial Awards in Kadoma, with government officials encouraging education stakeholders to support the newly introduced heritage-based curriculum.
Jameson High School in Kadoma hosted this year’s awards ceremony on Thursday.
The awards aims to enhance education standards in schools with Mr Tawonezvi Makoni, a representative of the award winners, emphasising that recognising students, as well as academic and non-academic staff within the educational sector, plays a crucial role in the successful implementation of the heritage-based curriculum.
“Obviously an award is a natural push factor. It motivates everyone to continue to put more effort into their respective roles therefore contributing towards the attainment of the ministry’s goals and targets,” he said.
The government is upbeat that the introduction of the Education 5.0 model will unlock more economic benefits for the country.
‘’As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, our goal is to ensure that every learner is equipped with a life skill that she/he will be able to rely on as a means of survival,” Mashonaland West Provincial Education director, Mr Gabriel Mhuma said.
“We have trained all teachers on the heritage-based curriculum and today’s event buttresses all our efforts to promote this new direction by recognizing those who are excelling in their various roles within the ministry.”
‘’As the government, we are rolling out the devolution programme where we are constructing schools and providing essential services to our communities,” the Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution director, Mr Douglas Chiwiro said.
“The goal is to ensure that we create a conducive environment for them that stimulates economic growth.”
Stakeholders, who include platinum mining giant, Zimplats pledged their support towards promoting the educational sector.
“As Zimplats, we are rolling out a massive social corporate responsibility policy which also encompasses construction of educational facilities, digitisation of schools for ICT purposes, scholarships to mention but a few all of which are efforts to improve the quality of education in our province. This is an important role which stakeholders should play,” Zimplats Human Resources official, Mr Takawira Maswiswi said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education got the largest chunk from the Treasury this year at ZiG$46.6 billion, a testament to government’s commitment towards promoting quality education in the country.
