Story by Zanele Masuku
BULAWAYO – THE government has launched the Traditional Games Festival to celebrate traditional games and inform the direction to be taken under the heritage-based curriculum.
The inaugural festival was launched in Bulawayo this Tuesday, bringing together learners from various schools across the region to take part in indigenous games that form part of Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage.
For years, modern games have dominated school sports activities, while traditional games, once a central part of local childhood play and learning, have been largely overlooked.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s Research and Curriculum Development Officer, Mr Dzikamai Mandaza, said findings will help inform the direction of the new curriculum.
“We conducted a study within the Ministry to understand why learners are facing various challenges, including physical and health-related issues. One of the key interventions identified was the reintroduction of indigenous games, which are inclusive, low-cost, and adaptable to different learning environments. These games require minimal space and can be played even by just two participants. We have also trained teachers not only on how to facilitate these games, but also to consider learners’ health conditions before participation,” he said
The government introduced the heritage-based curriculum to equip learners with local problem-solving skills and the ability to excel in various sports codes.
