. . . as Govt priorities science education
Staff Reporter
IN line with the Second Republic’s modernisation and industrialisation agenda, the Government is targeting to train 5 000 science teachers by 2025.
Already, the Government is systematically unveiling a science teachers’ programme at various teaching colleges in the country.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, said the Government has since 2018 increased the number of science teaching colleges.
He said for a country to develop, it must have knowledge of science technology and innovation, hence the decision to put science at the centre of the Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and modernisation agenda.
“The Government of His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa recognised the importance of Science education; and made some measures to it. “We made sure that we increase the number of science offering teachers colleges.
“(First) it was Mkoba Teacher’s College; it has a secondary science teacher’s programme starting from 2018; we have Masvingo Teacher’s College, it has got a science teacher’s programme since 2018; we have Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic, it has a science teacher’s programme since 2018.
“We have also made sure that Mary Mount Teacher’s College has a science training teacher’s programme since 2019,” said Prof Murwira.
He added that the Government has been able to enroll 600 teachers for science only at Mkoba Teacher’s College, at Mary Mount Teacher’s College, at Masvingo Teacher’s College and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic, which was never there before.
Prof Murwira said his ministry had also bolstered science teaching programmes at Mutare Teacher’s College, Hillside Teacher’s College and Belvedere Technical Teacher’s College.
“So, the response has been such that last year in 2022, we graduated our first crop of secondary science teachers.
“We are looking at having 5 000 secondary science teachers trained by 2025. There are steps that we are taking.”
