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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
TEACHERS must embrace technology to remain relevant in their fast evolving profession, a senior official has said. Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango said most teachers were still afraid of technology and were unwilling to take up any subjects related to it.

She said such teachers risked becoming redundant.

Dr Utete-Masango told educators at the Secretary’s award ceremony at St Patrick’s Primary School in Bulawayo that technology was fast becoming a cornerstone of the future.

St Patrick’s was the best school in 2015 for the Reigate district.

“There’s a deliberate effort by the Ministry for the adoption of Information, Communication, Technology (ICT) to modernise teaching and learning by embracing technology as a tool for teaching and learning.

“Notably, we’re in the digital era and as such teaching and learning have to transform if we’re to be in sync with the dictates of the 21st century,” said Dr Utete-Masango.

“Information technology is now a tool for teaching and learning. Remember the current generation; they call themselves the digital natives. They call us, the teachers included, the digital immigrants,” said Dr Utete-Masango.

She said digital technology was part of the new curriculum and the STEM initiative by her ministry.

“This is a wake up call. If the teachers of today don’t embrace technology, they’ll be redundant. This is exactly what’s being said. These young people (pupils) are way ahead. They’ve long embraced technology but we’re still a bit cautious and calculative because we’re afraid,” Dr Utete-Masango said.

She said her ministry is encouraging all schools to make provisions for e-learning for all learners from Early Childhood Development (ECD) up to Advanced Level.

Speaking at the recent Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) annual conference in Victoria Falls in May, teachers complained that school heads continued to force them to scheme using long hand when they could do so on their computers.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora, who was at the conference, urged teachers to undertake computer training.

“You say some school heads aren’t computer literate. They should get training in Information Communication Technologies because teacher capacity building must be continuous,” said Minister Dokora.

National Association of Primary School Heads (NAPH) president Mrs Cynthia Khumalo acknowledged there are some headmasters and headmistresses who lack computer skills.

Meanwhile, Dr Utete-Masango challenged schools to impart life skills to children even at primary level to inculcate self-reliance once they leave learning institutions.

She repeated the same message at a ceremony for the Secretary’s Merit Awards at Pumula High School, which was rewarded for excellence in 2014 on Tuesday.

“We’ve most of our learners who aspire to get to A’ level and they spend 15 years at school. We’re saying in those 15 years what are they coming out with? It’s not just the certificate. What skills have we imparted to them for the 15 years that we would have had them?” she asked.

“This is a task that schools should consider seriously. If they exit at O’ level that’s 13 years, in those 13 years what is it that they’re exiting with. Even at Grade Seven, for seven years I must come out with something,” said Dr Utete-Masango.

The permanent secretary has since Monday officiated at Secretary’s Awards ceremonies at Pumula High School, St Patrick’s and Kumalo Primary schools.

The awards, also known as the Secretary’s Bell, focus on schools which have made tangible efforts to provide classrooms and school libraries as well as e-learning opportunities for learners from early childhood development level up to Advanced Level as well as non-formal education.