The Zimbabwe Telegraph
By Getrude Gumede
November 19, 2009
HARARE – The Government is working on including in the country’s education curriculum issues such as the constitution and reconciliation, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart said the Government was planning on introducing such issues in the curriculum in 2012.
In an interview on the sidelines of the official opening of the Edward Ndlovu Memorial Library in Gwanda on Tuesday, Senator Coltart said the Government was working to include such issues as soon as possible.
“The new curriculum would cover mainly issues pertaining to constitutionalism, human rights, peace and security as well as reconciliation and integration,†said Coltart.
“As of when the curriculum would be introduced I can not say the specific date but we are looking at 2012 or before. It will depend on resources especially taking into consideration that we have to train some of the teachers on these proposed subjects and also there is the issue of textbooks which would have to be purchased.â€
Coltart said the curriculum would cover both primary and secondary education.
“For the Government to build a prosperous and peaceful nation there is a great need for the curriculum to cover primary and secondary education so that young children are educated on being peace loving citizens and be able to differentiate between issues detrimental to the development of the nation and those that are good for nation building,†he said.
Coltart said the Government had already secured partners for the project among them the United Nations Education Scientific Organisation (Unesco).
“Our partners have already pledged technical and financial support towards the project and I am happy to say we have also romped in educational experts and veteran teachers to help with the drafting of the curriculum and skills training for the crop of teachers that would be teaching the subjects,†he said.