THE 2017 school year which commenced in early January saw the rolling out of a new school curriculum.
Under the old curriculum, not only did students learn more about European history but produced ‘workers’ and not innovators.
It is against this background, the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry crafted a curriculum that will produce scholars who after school, will actively drive the economy.
Learners will be proactive, fit well in the community and national economy, value the dignity of labour and harness available opportunities for enterprise.
With agriculture being the economy’s mainstay, its study is now mandatory for all learners.
Before, the study of agriculture was optional, with secondary students choosing it from an array of practical subjects including Food and Nutrition, Fashion and Fabrics, Metalwork, Woodwork, Building and Physical Education.
Some schools, like Allan Wilson High, were not offering the subject.
For primary school learners, the subject was a sub-subject under Content, which also covered Religious and Moral Education, Environmental Science and Social Studies.
The new curriculum seeks to ‘develop a positive attitude towards Agriculture and its study as a science’.
Gone are the days when agricultural activities at school were viewed as punishment.
At primary school level, learners will start studying Agriculture from Grade Three to Seven.
This five-year learning phase will provide learners with opportunities to identify, investigate, solve problems, carry out agricultural activities and assess their viability in a sustainable manner.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, it is imperative learners, in their diversity, acquire necessary agricultural knowledge, skills and positive attitudes at the grassroots.
In Secondary schools, Agriculture is now compulsory for all students, helping them to relate the importance of agriculture to socio-economic development of the family, community and country.
The learning phase will see learners being assessed through continuous assessment and summative examination.
The stance taken by the ministry to make Agriculture a core subject is not new.
Upon attaining independence, Government introduced Agriculture in schools as a core subject.
Government went a step further to set up nine agricultural colleges in different provinces.
Warren Park High School head, Rudo Kanji, who has been teaching the subject for 30 years, told The Patriot: “From 1980, Agriculture was compulsory and the intention was to make students take pride in the land,” she said.
“It became a mantra; agriculture is the backbone of the economy hence everyone took the studies seriously.”
The results of making agriculture a core subject were evident in how blacks ‘rekindled’ their passion for tilling the land which they had been deprived of by white settlers.
Contrary to falsehoods spread by detractors, locals had for long been participating in agricultural activities though their opportunities were limited.
Statistics prove that despite being disadvantaged, local small-holder farmers played a significant role in agriculture.
According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), small-holder farmers were the largest suppliers of maize and cotton to formal markets within five years of independence.
As far back as 1980, communal farmers have been major contributors to the grain reserves, producing 66 565 tonnes that year and in 1983 when the country experienced a drought, they recorded a tonnage of 137 234.
After the drought, communal farmers contributed 335 130 tonnes of maize double the previous year’s offering.
Warren Park Six Primary School teacher, Martha Sitemere said students had shown willingness to participate in agricultural activities.
“As a school, we were already teaching Agriculture and we have numerous projects running, including rabbitry, mushroom and maize production,” she said.
“Through these projects, children have had hands-on training to manage these projects and they have actively participated.
“Given this scenario, we are confident our pupils, even later in life, will use the skills acquired here to make a living.”
Sitemere said projects were funded by the school.
“We also sell our produce in the community and proceeds are ploughed back into the projects,” she said.
“Plans are underway to start more projects such as fish production and horticulture.”
The re-introduction of Agriculture as a core subject is a noble idea. However, some schools are facing difficulties.
Warren Park High School head of Agriculture Department Tendai Tanyongana said: “Before, we had a small number of learners doing Agriculture studies, but now numbers have increased and due to limited resources and space we fear we will produce half-baked students.”
“Our school is in an urban area and we do not have enough space to accommodate all children to do practicals.”
However, Kanji said the challenges would not dampen students’ zeal to learn.
It is important stakeholders take lessons from the past to ensure efforts to equip students with requisite knowledge are not in vain, she said.
“After Independence, Government supported its idea with resources which included schools getting grants to purchase farming implements and inputs,” said Kanji.
“The move lessened the burden on schools.
“Emphasis was given on specialisation and this allowed students to be well versed in one area, be it livestock or crop production.”
It is time to appreciate that agriculture is not all about cereal production.
Livestock production, horticulture, apiculture, fish production and forestry, among other branches of agriculture, should be considered.
With schools having adopted the new curriculum and eager to ensure negative perceptions on Agriculture studies are cleared, the move will go a long way in supporting the Land Reform Programme.
Students produced now will drive the agriculture sector in the future.