Zimbabwe has removed Mathematics as a prerequisite for people seeking to train as secondary school teachers for indigenous languages, Higher and Tertiary Educa...
Zimbabwe has removed Mathematics as a prerequisite for people seeking to train as secondary school teachers for indigenous languages, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Dr Frederick Shava has announced.
Minister Shava announced the policy change at the Hwange College of Education graduation ceremony, where about 143 students graduated. He said the decision was intended to widen access to the teaching profession and strengthen the number of trainees able to teach Zimbabwe’s indigenous languages.
Shava was represented at the graduation ceremony by his deputy, Simelisizwe Sibanda.
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“As part of the ministry’s policy to train secondary teachers for indigenous languages, I am pleased to announce that Mathematics is no longer a prerequisite,” Shava said.
He said the policy change was a deliberate measure to create wider access to teacher training while strengthening the pool of people who can continue teaching indigenous languages in Zimbabwe.
The indigenous language teacher-training programme was initially introduced in Matabeleland North Province for ChiNambya and ChiTonga-speaking communities. The Ministry has since extended the policy across all indigenous languages in the country.
The expansion is in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20, Act 2013, which requires the State to promote and advance all languages used in Zimbabwe, including sign language, and create conditions for their development.
Shava said the programme had already produced a significant number of graduates since its inception in 2019. He said the latest figures showed that 137 graduates had been produced in ChiNambya, comprising 13 males and 124 females.
In ChiTonga, the programme has produced 189 graduates, including 77 males and 112 females. The combined figure for ChiNambya and ChiTonga therefore stands at 326 graduates.
“This much-needed human capital is set to significantly impact the quality of instruction and the preservation of culture in ChiNambya and ChiTonga speaking communities,” Shava said.
The Minister also announced plans to introduce secondary teacher training programmes specialising in indigenous languages. The secondary programmes will operate alongside the existing primary teacher-training programme.
The policy comes as the Government continues to focus on expanding access to higher and tertiary education while supporting the development of indigenous languages. Removing Mathematics as a prerequisite for indigenous language teacher training is intended to allow more prospective teachers to enter the programme.
At the Hwange College of Education graduation ceremony, 73 of the approximately 143 graduating students were pursuing STEM subjects. The figures reflected the college’s broader teacher-training programmes beyond indigenous languages.
Shava also used the occasion to highlight the Government’s focus on research, innovation and industrialisation in institutions of higher learning. He said institutions should ensure that research moves beyond classrooms and contributes to practical solutions to problems affecting communities.
“As a Ministry, we have set a benchmark for all institutions of higher learning to prioritise research, innovation and industrialisation,” Shava said.
He pointed to collaborative work between Hwange College of Education and the National University of Science and Technology as an example of research aimed at addressing community challenges.
According to Shava, the two institutions have collaborated on research that resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding addressing human-wildlife conflict. He encouraged other universities, colleges and industry players to pursue similar partnerships.
The Minister also encouraged the college to patent any breakthroughs resulting from its research activities. He said the country’s research efforts should focus on producing goods and services capable of solving community problems in real time.
“We further encourage the patenting of any breakthroughs arising from this institution’s research efforts. Our research goal should be the production of goods and services that solve community problems in real time,” he said.
Shava also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to widening access to higher education through support for students with different needs. He said the Government would procure assistive devices for all tertiary education institutions to ensure that students are not left behind.
The Minister also highlighted the Work for Fees programme, which he said complements other initiatives such as student loans. The programme is intended to support students who are in financial need but are capable of continuing their studies.
According to Shava, the initiative is designed to support student retention and increase enrolment in tertiary institutions. He described it as part of the Ministry’s response to the principle of leaving no one and no place behind.
The Government is expected to release Work for Fees funds to complement institutional funding in the third quarter of this year, Shava said.
The removal of the Mathematics requirement marks a change in the entry requirements for prospective secondary teachers specialising in indigenous languages. The Government’s stated objective is to expand the number of people entering the training programmes while supporting the continued teaching and development of Zimbabwe’s indigenous languages.
The development also builds on the teacher-training work already undertaken in ChiNambya and ChiTonga since 2019. With 326 graduates produced across the two language programmes, the Ministry says the trained human capital will contribute to teaching and cultural preservation in the communities where the languages are spoken.
The expansion to all indigenous languages means the policy will apply beyond the original programmes in Matabeleland North. The Government says the move is consistent with the constitutional requirement to promote and advance Zimbabwe’s languages and create conditions for their development.
