Govt releases funds for teacher training Consultations on new schools curriculum
TREASURY has released at least $100 000 for the training of the first batch of 500 teachers in Early Childhood Development.
The move comes as Government intensifies efforts to capacitate teaching staff in line with the new curriculum which entered its second phase with the opening of schools last week.
Government mooted the training programme upon realisation there was a severe shortage of qualified teachers at ECD level which was introduction a few years ago.
The shortage has also seen the recruitment of about 10 000 teachers in an effort to improve the teacher pupil ratio.
At least 450 qualified teachers in Mashonaland Central, Masvingo and Midlands have been identified to undergo intensive ECD training in various colleges in three provinces.
Primary and Secondary Education secretary, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango told The Sunday Mail last week that treasury had already released the funds for the training.
She said the month long training was expected to start tomorrow
“These teachers are already qualified and were specialising in teaching primary education. We are now taking them to specialise in ECD,” said Dr Utete-Masango.
“The training will be intensive and will last a month. Treasury has already released the money for the training and I think it is about $150 per person. They are going to start on Monday (tomorrow).”
Dr Utete-Masango said the training was part of the realignment and redeployment of teachers who were not A 35-YEAR-OLD HIV positive landlord who raped his tenant’s nine-year-old niece twice as payment of money owed to him by the victim’s aunt has been sentenced to 18 years in prison
Andrew Stone of house number 44 Mutsi Street Zengeza 1, Chitungwiza, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape when he appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Estere Chivasa.
Ms Chivasa, however, suspended two years on condition that the accused does not commit a similar offence in the next five years. properly placed.
Dr Utete-Masango said there was an audit last week to determine how teachers were deployed and was yet to get the findings on “who is wrongly placed and who does not have the teaching qualification.”
She said on completion of the process, those who are wrongly placed will be redeployed as soon as possible while those with qualifications from other fields will have to enrol for training.
“It’s not a witch hunt but what we want is to ensure that our teachers are at the right place. It also helps us to improve the quality of our education,” she said.
Zimbabwe has 8 600 schools manned by about 200 000 teachers of which 80 percent of them are qualified while the remainder constitutes A’ Level and university graduates from non-teaching fields. THE new schools curriculum was introduced after wide consultations with more than one million Zimbabweans and other stakeholders contrary to views that it is a hurried project, a senior Government official has said.
Last week, Government rolled out the new curriculum amid criticism from other sectors that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education did not consult interested parties.
The new curriculum has seen the introduction of nine new learning areas in primary education. These include science, technology, engineering, agriculture and vocational technical subjects, among others.
Pupils in Early Childhood Development will undertake languages, visual and performing arts, physical education, mass displays, maths and science, family and heritage and ICT.
Primary and Secondary Education secretary Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango told The Sunday Mail last week that the Nziramasanga Commission of 1999 formed the foundation of the new education curriculum.
“If you look at the document the bulk of the information is contained in the Presidential Commission into Education and Training (popularly known as the Nziramasanga Commission) and what we did was to take that information and make it relevant after consultations with education partners and over a million participants.
“We have to change other things for example ICT, which is now different from the situation then and agriculture which has been revolutionised.
“How can people say a document which has been in place for more than 15 years was hurried?
“We are known for producing brilliant researches but when it comes to implementation we are found wanting.
‘‘Why is it that when we are implementing what we have researched there is an outcry?”
The new curriculum is being implemented in phases after it was successfully piloted last year.
This year, it will be implemented in ECD, Grades 1 and 3 and Forms 1, 3 and 5 while training in syllabus interpretation is being done for ECD B, Grades 2 and 4, Forms 2, 4 and 6 teachers.
The first Grade Seven exam under the new curriculum — will be written in 2021 when it will be transformed into a new name, Junior School Examination.
The year 2022 will see the full implementation of the new curriculum.
Dr Utete-Masango said the new curriculum will ensure pupils are empowered with life skills that will enable them to eke out a living upon completion of secondary school.
Stone tied the girl’s legs apart with a rope on the bed while she was facing upwards before raping her once.
He later untied the girl before threatening to axe her if she told anyone.
On the second count, on 4 December 2016 in the afternoon, the complainant was alone at the house whilst her aunt and other family members had gone for a graduation ceremony.
The accused used the same modus operandi. The offence only came to light on 16 December after the victim’s aunt came across her torn undergarment and skirt whilst doing laundry.