SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL
CONFERENCE ON EARLY
CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND
EDUCATION
Date:
3 – 5 December, 2013;
Location: Pretoria, South Africa
Theme: “QUALITY MATTERS”
Country presentation by : Kwadzanai R. L. Nyanungo
Principal Director, Quality Assurance –Primary , ECD, Learner Welfare
Services, Schools Psychological Services, and Special Needs Education
Depatment.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
ZIMBABWE
1
Policies
2
Legislation
3
Governance
4
Administrative
Framework
5
Financing
6
Participation and
Achievements
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a)Education specific policies: ECD is part of the nine-year
primary school menu for Zimbabwe .Enrolment Policy;
Curriculum Policy; Curriculum Pathway Structure; ECD Policy;
Language Policy Special education Policy; Guidance and
Counselling policy; Child Friendly School Tenets; Sport Policy;
Arts and Culture policy
b) Cross –Cutting Government Policies: Science and Technology
Policy, ICT Policy. National Gender Policy, National Plan of Action
for Children. Policy Framework for Orphans and Vulnerable
Children, National AIDS Policy
NB; All under review for alignment to the National Constitution.
Enabling Legislation: Constitution of Zimbabwe. Education Act.
Statutory Instruments specific to ECD
Related Policies: Civil Service Act; Statutory Instrument 1, of
2000; Public Health Act. Disabled Persons Act, Indigenisation and
Empowerment Act; NB ; All under review for alignment to the
National Constitution
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Quality
Assurance- Infant School Education Department has overall
mandate for ECD... School Development Committees at local
level mostly for resource mobilisation and a voice for parents in
the school development planning and management of resources
raised by them; Community Selection Committees for the
identification and prioritisation of indigent learners to benefit
from education assistance programme. Internal Audit for
accountability of financial and material assets
Quality Assurance, Infant School Education Department at
National level, (Infant School Education covers ECD A for
children turning age four, ECD B for those turning five years old,
Grade 1 and Grade 2) 10 Provincial Education Offices under
PEDs, Dep. PED Primary Education, ECD, Learner Welfare Services
Schools Psychological Services and Special Needs Education, 73
District Education Offices, with Inspectors specifically
responsible for ECD, Primary School Heads and Teachers in
Charge of Infant Departments.
ECD Grants-In-Aid, Per Capita Grants, Cost-sharing through
School Development Committees. Basic Education Assistance
Module (BEAM). However, a significant funding cap still remains
for universal access to quality ECD Education to be achieved in
Zimbabwe.
97. 62 % of the Primary schools in Zimbabwe have ECD B
classes for children turning 5years old and the current enrolment
for this age group is 481 915.
82.12% of all the Primary Schools in Zimbabwe have introduced
ECD A classes for children turning 4 years old , with a total
enrolment 0f 245 147 . The Ministry records and monitors
statistics on the provincial participation ECD participation and
quality indicators. The country is working on measures to achieve
100% net enrolment ratios at ECD level. The priority concern is
on age- appropriate infrastructure to achieve this. A National
School Infrastructure Expo is scheduled to be held in Harare to
7
Qualifications and
Qualification
Authority
8
Quality Assurance
9
Practitioner and
Professional
development
10
Conclusion and
recommendations
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drum up support for this massive infrastructural construction,
upgrading and rehabilitation exercise. A significant portion of the
target is for Infant School Education facilities.
Diploma in ECD. Teacher Education Department
Bachelor of Education Degree in ECD. Master of Education
Degree in ECD, Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education.
Doctorates ,particularly for higher institutes of education and
training.
Education Management Information System (EMIS): Statistical
and narrative data is routinely gathered and collated on a termly
basis for the purposes of planning, M & E. Supervisory
Instruments, Whole School Self – Evaluation package used..
External Supervision and inspection .
Performance Appraisal system for all implementers.
Secretary’s merit Award to encourage continuous improvement
in quality education service delivery. Action research initiatives
on ECD.
Currently , most ECD classes are manned by paraprofessionals,
for whom basic training is being provided to enable them to
deliver services under the supervision of qualified school
personnel. At the same time the training of qualified teachers
has been rolled out to all teacher training colleges. Practicing
Infant Teachers to be in-serviced for ECD work. Under GPE,
teacher empowerment activities will also cover ECD and
Inclusive education.
Government position and approach to quality ECD: The
Government of Zimbabwe policy thrust is on strengthening the
foundation of the education system through investing more
into the Infant School Education Module for children turning 4
and 5 years old, implementing early intervention programmes
and inculcating g the Pan African values of unhu / ubuntu,
promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics
and sustainable environment principles and practices from the
formative ages at ECD level.
Challenges: i) Demand vs. supply in areas of high population
density has created pressure on school space, resulting in
schools operating double or triple sessions to accommodate
more learners This compromises on quality.
ii) Substandard infrastructure in newly resettled areas and some
of the remote rural parts of Zimbabwe. In some cases, children
learn under trees, or inappropriate structure like disused tobacco
barns, sheds and old farm homesteads.
iii) Long walking distances to and from school, particularly in
rural areas. This affects attendance and results in later school
entry when children are older.
iv)inadequate resources for a comprehensive School Feeding
Programme that is sustainable and developmentally appropriate
at local level
v) Insufficient social safety nets for education assistance
coverage of orphans and other vulnerable, disadvantaged
children.
vi) Inadequate resources for School libraries to promote a
reading culture
vii) Inadequate resources to promote ICTs from ECD level in line
with e learning developments in this global village.
viii) More is yet to be achieved on the disaggregation of statistics
to accurately capture learner diversity and inclusivity from ECD
level upwards in Zimbabwe. Contrary to Policy ,there are many
schools where there is virtually no learner with a disability
enrolled.
Successes and Inspiration and possibilities; i) Many positive
examples of Community Involvement and contribution towards
the development of the education sector, including ECD. This
includes the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure,
provision of teaching and learning equipment and materials. ii)
Possibility for Public Private Partnerships for Infant School
Education development.
iii) 100% distribution of ECD syllabus and resource materials to
all schools and centres
iv) Partner support for the training of ECD paraprofessional staff
through the Education Development Fund. Also the sourcing of
some ECD kits through partner support.
v) A national ECD model centre and model ECD centres at
provincial and district levels on which the Infant School
Education Module is being further developed.
vi)teacher training College intakes of ECD teacher trainees
vi) support for inclusive education is growing
vii) Teacher optimal standards are currently being finalised and
aligned to national development goals.
vii) School optimal standards are in place to guide responsible
authorities on registration and quality standards.
How Government is building on Challenges, successes and
Possibilities
While priority is currently on legislative and policy alignment to
the new Constitution of Zimbabwe, Government is strengthening
its consultative mechanism for optimal linkages and with
stakeholder and community. Realising that government cannot
do it alone; opportunities for partnerships have been identified
for further engagement with other players and well- wishers.
The Government views the recognition of 16 languages in the
new Constitution of Zimbabwe as an opportunity for sharing with
other countries in the region where some of the languages are at
a more advanced development stage than Zimbabwe. The 16
languages recognised in Zimbabwe include Sign Language.
At implementation level, it is envisaged that the challenges of
embracing learner diversity would be more effectively addressed
by institutionalising Inclusive education from the initial entry
level of education, i.e. ECD.
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Recommendations
 In light of the above, Zimbabwe recommends the
continuation and refinement of regional exchange
mechanisms on issues of common concern in the
promotion of quality Early Childhood Development
Education. Through such exchange, each country would
have the opportunity to adapt lessons from sister
countries to its local environment.
 The SADC Protocol on Education and Training is
recognised as the overall coordination framework for
such endeavours
 Periodic regional benchmarking studies on ECD
Education are recommended.
 Regional EMIS data on ECD should be shared and
collated to inform decisions at Regional level
 Development support for the provision of ICT hardware,
e-teaching and e- learning expertise should be mobilised
from a regional level in order to reduce the digital divide
between richer and poorer countries.
 The above listed regional initiatives need to be
complemented by stronger multisectoral coordination
within each country .
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