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Cont Mhlanga

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
ASPIRING artistes have all the reasons to celebrate as Government has scrapped O-Level Mathematics as a requirement to enrol for arts courses at tertiary institutions in the country.

Among the 30 courses that no longer require Maths as a prerequisite are Fashion Design, Music, Fine Arts, Design for Multi-Media, Dance and Photography.

This directive came from the Higher Education Examination Council board through their chairperson Dr Desire Sibanda who said it was effective January 1, 2018.

“Following a Hexco board meeting at (Management Training Bureau) on 22 January 2018, 30 Hexco programmes were reviewed and a decision was made that the programmes do not require a pass in O-Level Mathematics as an entry requirement as is the case regionally and internationally,” Sibanda said.

Most artistes over the years had been complaining that they were failing to enrol at some tertiary institutions to study their art because of the Maths requirement and exorbitant fees, which they said still needed to be looked into.

Renowned arts guru, Cont Mhlanga, said the requirement was indeed unnecessary.

“I’ll be a happy villager if Maths is removed from all things to do with creative industries. I don’t know why it is there.

“It’s very unnecessary to have it as a requirement because it has nothing to do with the arts,” said Mhlanga.

He said the Government should define their own education system that satisfies the needs of the global economy.

“People are stuck in the past where white people came and said everyone needs Maths along with five O-Levels.

“In fact the five O-Level requirements is the biggest hindrance to the creative industry globally. Some of these subjects have nothing to do with the creative industry,” said Mhlanga.