Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
THE government is set to reintroduce the Development Grant Programme for tertiary institutions and support the work for study programme to strengthen institutional capacity and expand community impact.
This comes when Wednesday saw Mogenster Teachers College in Masvingo churning out over 200 primary school teachers who completed their studies in general courses and early childhood courses.
The college is credited for advancing inclusive education through integrating disability into learning.
“I am happy to be graduating today at Mogenster Teachers College, I was focusing on ECD teaching and paralympics. I am looking forward to majoring in paralympics, and open an academy for people with disability hence promoting the inclusive agenda.
“I graduated with a diploma in education, majoring in Physical Education. I am looking forward to opening my own gym and start promoting healthy lifestyles in communities, given the rise of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
“We want to thank the government for introducing innovation in our learning. As a teacher, I am looking forward to ensuring our future generation becomes innovative by teaching them to come up with products that will assist our communities,” the graduands said.
The institution’s training is in line with the Education 5.0 model, with the government focusing on commercialisation of academic output.
“As an institution, we are working on infusing innovation, sustainability and entrepreneur thinking into our education. Under the Education 5.0 model, our mandate goes beyond teaching and learning, rather called to integrate research, innovation, community service and industrialisation all grounded in heritage practices. When our teachers adopt innovative pentagogics, local curriculum adaptations and income generating projects, we move towards sustainable commercialisation, allowing education to continue with the provision of goods and services, institutional revenue and community upliftment,” the Principal of Mogenster Teachers College, Dr Davis Mazire said.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Honourable Simelisizwe Sibanda, confirmed the reintroduction of the Development Grant Programme, which was suspended in 2016.
“As government, we are actively working to resuscitate the development grant programme which seized in 2016, the initiative expected to strengthen institutional capacity and expand community impact. The tertiary institutions will be offering short courses in communities in agriculture, home management and career guidance among many fields.
“Next year again, the government will support tertiary institutions to intensify the work for study programmes. Mogenster Teachers College is accredited for supporting 33 differently abled students meant to leave no one and no place behind.”
The graduation ceremony was running under the theme, “leveraging innovative practices in teacher education for sustainable commercialisation.”
