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Minister Paul Mavima

Abigail Mawonde, Harare Bureau
Government has successfully carried out an evaluation of the implementation of the new curriculum to determine progress achieved and challenges that may have been encountered, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima has said.

The implementation of the new curriculum started in 2015 and is expected to inculcate critical foundation skills in pupils at an early stage of their development.

Speaking at the Children’s Independence Party held in Harare on Tuesday, Minister Mavima said there was a lot of fear when Government introduced the new curriculum.

“There was a lot of trepidation about some elements of the new curriculum,” he said. “As you are aware, Your Excellency, we have embarked on an evaluation of the first year of implementation of the new curriculum in order to gauge the progress made so far. I am happy to inform you that the curriculum evaluation exercise has been successfully carried out in order to determine, from authentic evidence, the progress achieved, and identify any gaps that require addressing in order to achieve set objectives.

“The aim is to identify strengths and growth areas in terms of knowledge, skills and resources to ensure increased effectiveness in the implementation of the curriculum.”

Minister Mavima said the new competency-based curriculum framework 2015-2022 was an important milestone in the transformation of education in the country.

“The old curriculum which was largely knowledge-based was no longer responding to the needs of industry and was out of sync with global trends,” he said.

“The new curriculum seeks to inculcate critical foundation skills in our young people so that they are well prepared to meet the needs of our economy, and to compete in the job market of the 21st century.”

Through the new curriculum, the ministry has enhanced the teaching and learning of STEM subjects to build a firm base for human capital development.

“We have enhanced Science, ICT and Mathematics education from infantry level as we strive to provide inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all,” said Minister Mavima.

“The infantry level is full of learners who are curious and inquisitive and we will continue to provide for them a positive and stimulating environment.”

Sustainable Development Goal Number 4, target 2 requires Government to ensure that pupils have access to early childhood development education, which lays a concrete foundation for the children’s future learning.