THE Third Education Conference and Expo, held at the Harare Conference Centre Grounds was hosted by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Lazarus Dokora, and officiated by President Robert Mugabe.
Following the opening prayer by Father Emmanuel Ribeiro, education experts welcomed the presence of President Mugabe, who guided the Third Education Conference 2017 with his wisdom and enthusiasm for the development of the nation through a robust educational system.
The event was also officiated by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Jonathan Moyo, visiting ministers of education from Cuba, Botswana, South Korea and Australia.
The theme of the conference and expo was ‘Education and Innovation for Sustainable Socio-economic Development’.
The inter-ministerial component of the curriculum was expressed by the presence of the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Chris Mushowe, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Joseph Made as well as Dr Ignatius Chombo and Cde Kembo Mohadi, among other ministers.
Education is the space which mediates between development and prosperity.
Zimbabwe is fortunate in that leadership in education was provided by President Mugabe, who spearheaded education as a major thrust for indigenous empowerment.
Through his vision, he sought to provide the nation of Zimbabwe with computers and computer skills to bring Zimbabwe up to par with the international world.
Africa as a whole has inherited didactic methods of imparting knowledge from Western educational systems imposed on us by colonisation.
However, this history, in many instances, does not take into account the human and cultural components of the various countries.
According to Dr Dokora: “The African President whose name has been etched in the annals of history as the African leader who initiated the development of education that gave Zimbabwe its status as one of the most literate countries in the developing world, is our own President Robert Gabriel Mugabe.”
According to the President: “A great philosopher Aristotle – a teacher affects eternity; Teachers are masters of this eternity.”
Aristotle (384-322 BC), was a Greek philosopher, founder of the Peripatetic School at Athens and author of works on logic, ethics, politics, poetry, rhetoric, biology, zoology, metaphysics and education.
Himself a teacher, the President espoused on the noble profession of teaching.
Some of the aspects of the new curriculum that the president emphasised on evolved around national values, citizenship, critical global awareness, environmental stewardship, capacitated by computerisation and new researched material on Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe emphasised the need for the nation to strive for inclusivity for all in education, regardless of one’s background, religion, creed, colour or race.
The President said: “Once a curriculum outlives its usefulness, it is important for us to research and deliberate on the future education of our progeny…. Part of education should include the history of one’s origin, which had been removed by the colonial system”.
In a previous article in The Patriot on education, I emphasised:
“…Zimbabwe needs a curriculum, suitable to a culture which has continually undergone suffocation and threats by alien incursions over the past millennium.
A curriculum, which empowers pupils to be self-sufficient Zimbabweans fully cognisant of their own role in developing themselves and the nation, should be the panacea.
This, however, should not obliterate the importance of understanding the rest of the world in relation to Zimbabwe…”
It is gratifying to note that this has been achieved through the inclusion of the humanities in the new curriculum.
Through the education curriculum, Zimbabwe is able to find its feet through the inclusion of African-centred pedagogy in the performing and visual arts, which form the nucleus of our African identity and will create a pathway to the recovery of our indigenous soul.
African culture has, from time immemorial, prided itself on the transmission of knowledge through visual, oratorical, theatrical and generic skills.
Zimbabweans need to find ways to make education sustainable, meaningful and profitable.
People should cease to be workers for an old colonial system that was aligned to old colonial needs and become owners and entrepreneurs through the new educational curriculum and mindset.
It was not until 35 years ago that Zimbabwe succeeded in breaking the bonds of subjugation which made the African student and learner dependent on employment from state, agriculture, industry and commerce through the limited educational opportunities brought about by the racially restrictive educational system of the minority Rhodesian Government.
The Third Education Conference and Expo 2017 was attended by an estimated 7 000 delegates who thronged the HICC annex grounds, made up mainly of teachers, education professionals and curriculum reform specialists.
Zimbabwe, through its new education curriculum, has heralded a revival of the essence of African-centred pedagogy.
Such empowerment will in time create a well-rounded citizen, cognisant of his/her heritage and responsibility to building a nation.
The envisaged benefits of the new curriculum are multifarious, designed to develop ideological, philosophical, geographical, scientific, artistic and cultural custodial skills, knowledge and acumen.
It is from this base that we will be able to speak about innovation, progress and beneficiation.
Without a foundation, there can be no future – the new curriculum is the foundation.
While the previous curriculum was pro-theory, the current curriculum is pro-practise, pro-development and pro-African.
Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, lecturer, musician, art critic, practising artist and corporate image consultant. He is also a specialist art consultant, post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher.