VTCs boost for youths in Buhera
TERTIARY institutions have been challenged to promote climate change education at all levels to create an informed community.
This will be in line with the National Climate Change learning strategy which seeks to promote awareness in the country and mitigate the impact of climate change, primarily caused by limited knowledge of the subject.
In an interview with The Herald last week, National University of Science and Technology lecturer in the Institute of Development Studies Mr Mkhokheli Sithole said there was need to introduce climate change as a core subject at universities and in high schools.
He said universities could also help the country to climate-proof all the socio-economic sectors and create knowledgeable members of the public. “Tertiary institutions play a critical role in adjusting to mitigating negative realities of climate change,” said Mr Sithole.
“In Zimbabwe, it is very unfortunate that very few of our universities have streamlined climate change learning at undergraduate level.
“Programmes that directly speak to climate change are offered in a few universities. Our universities now need to consider climate change as an area that needs more attention.
“As institutions we carry out research and a recent report showed that there is generally low production of peer review paper production on new knowledge on climate change issues. Going through the Scopus database, it recorded about 77 papers on climate change research published by 18 percent of State universities in Southern Africa.
“On that report, Zimbabwe has contributed very few new knowledge research papers that are climate-oriented. This, therefore, speaks to the need for tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe to step up in producing new knowledge in climate change. There is a gap that local universities need to fill in producing new knowledge on climate change.”
Mr Sithole said universities should work towards producing innovative students who can come up with practical skills to address the adverse effects of climate change.
He said students should reach out to communities and experience real environmental challenges that can be linked to the theoretical knowledge they acquired from universities.
Chairman of the Geography Department at Bindura University of Science Education Dr Albert Manyani said there was need for lecturers to be capacitated through trainings on climate change to help them have a complete appreciation of the subject.
Head of Curriculum Development and Technical Services in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr Blessing Chabikwa said climate change should be part of sustainable development in the curriculum.
“Education is an essential element of the global response to climate change as it helps people understand and address the impact of global warming and increases climate literacy among young people,” he said.
“It also encourages changes in their attitudes and behaviour, and helps them towards adaptation to climate change-related trends. Our desire is to see all educators recognising the importance of teaching climate change and engage learners in concepts and activities on climate science, mitigation and adaptation strategies.
“This should occur in classrooms, surrounding communities and other related learning environments using the competence-based learning approaches.”
YOUTHS in Buhera West Constituency are set to be empowered following the ground-breaking ceremony for Miracle Vocational Training Centre over the weekend, which targets to teach practical life skills that are critical in the attainment of President Mnangagwa’s vision of an upper middle income economy by 2030.
Miracle Vocational Training Centre’s founder, Mr Lloyd Kaserera, said the institution will go a long way in boosting the socio-economic development of the country as empowerment was central to economic turnaround.
He indicated that he will work towards opening more VTCs across Zimbabwe to ensure that many youths get life skills.
“Our thrust is to push vigorously for the opening of more institutions where people can be taught practical skills,” said Mr Kaserera.
“We also want the rural folk to be trained to uplift their standards of living.’’
Buhera West MP Cde Saul Nzuma welcomed the development, saying the opening of the VTC will transform the living standards of many people who would acquire skills and employ them in their day-to-day lives.
“The realisation that many of our people were not economically active because they did not have practical skills, which they could harness for self-employment, drove the idea for the establishment of this institution,” said Cde Nzuma.
“We are striving to drive the President’s vision which seeks to benefit our people in rural areas.’’
Featherstone farmer and successful businesswoman Dr Divine Ndhlukula said the establishment of the VTC was a shot in the arm for the agriculture sector.
“The economy of this nation is heavily dependent on agriculture, hence the need to keep training our people on matters to do with farming,” she said.
Dr Ndhlukula called on farmers to embrace small stock and small grains as a measure to counter climate change and drought, which have seriously impacted on the food security situation of most households.
“As a farmer, I urge vocational training centres to include goat and sheep rearing courses because, for example, goats are not easily affected by diseases,” she said.
“This project has a quick return and the meat is in high demand in most retail shops. So, I think for our youths, this VTC is a milestone.”