Story by Tichaona Kurewa
THE third Africa Education Summit commenced in Victoria Falls on Monday, with Zimbabwe’s heritage-based curriculum and the Education 5.0 model stealing the limelight.
The heritage-based curriculum and the education 5.0 model at tertiary level emphasise innovation, industrialisation and modernisation by equipping graduates with the skills to drive economic growth and solve real-world problems.
“Zimbabwe offers a model for the transformation of education for Africa. The heritage-based education 5.0 philosophy for our education and the heritage-based education for primary and secondary that seamlessly connect to produce products which mean learners can be entrepreneurs and produce goods and services, support industries, and support the modernisation of the country,” Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Professor Paul Mapfumo said.
“I think it is a good opportunity that Africa is converging here in Zimbabwe and the lesson that I think we can pick is, the importance of our promoting innovation, and critical thinking,” Zimbabwe’s Executive Director for the Forum for African Women Educationalists, Ms Lydia Madyirapanze said.
Zimbabwe and summit organisers highlighted that the country will showcase its success in the education sector which prompted the Southern African country to be the host of this year’s event.
“We want to show to the rest of the world that education can lead to production of goods and services that our people need. Education can contribute positively to economic development and economic growth and that is what our President has always emphasised through his Vision 2030, to have an upper middle-income society by 2030,” the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Summit, Honourable Torerai Moyo said.
“If this event is coming to Zimbabwe because of the origin and because of the belief in this country, they believe so much in education, so you could see that this programme was welcomed with open hands because this country is education-loving,” the Director for the Global Hub, UK, Mr Honey Olawale said.
The third Africa Education Summit also aims to unite education leaders, policymakers and stakeholders from across the continent to discuss strategies for improving educational outcomes and fostering global partnerships.
