Embrace digital literacy: Minister
Victor Sibanda
VICTORIA FALLS-Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, has urged Zimbabweans to embrace digital literacy as a game changer towards the realisation of industrialisation and modernisation of the country.
The Minister was officiating at the belated World Literacy Celebration Day themed, “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces,” held at Mosi- Oa-Tunya High School yesterday.
Dr Ndlovu said schools should take advantage of technology to produce graduates who are relevant to the nation.
She said, ” We need to advocate more aggressively for the emerging digital literacy in keeping with the fourth revolution. Zimbabwe will continue to be part of these celebrations because we are fully cognisant of the age-old truth that no nation can develop faster than its education system,”
Dr Ndlovu said the country should emulate the global focus on transforming education services to create resilience whilst ensuring quality, equitable and inclusive education that can be accessed by anyone anywhere.
She added; “My ministry will strive to transform literacy space through institutionalising blended learning for both formal and non-formal students as we strive to empower every citizen to be a lifelong learner…educated citizens will certainly help to accomplish the nation’s 2030 vision of a middle income society.”
Invoking the words of renowned academic, Fredrick Douglass who said “Once you learn to read you will be free forever,” she encouraged citizens to pursue education to emancipate themselves from poverty.
“My ministry urges all our institutions to embrace Sign Language Literacy as it is pivotal in the sustainable development of our community. We have embraced differences through encouraging the use of Braille, computer-aided teaching and sign language.
All marginalized groups need to be brought to the fore and afforded a chance to build the nation, stone upon stone , brick upon brick,” she said.
According to Dr Ndlovu, teachers are vital catalysts in the transformation of literacy learning spaces.
“More critically we need to focus on the teacher as a single most important catalyst in this transformation process.Let us as a country continue to celebrate our teachers and also borrow from the International Teacher’s day theme (The Transformation of Education begins with teachers), she said to the applause from the of the crowd comprising people from all provinces of the country.
The minister revealed that government was in the process of establishing face to face and open distance learning materials.
“We are thriving for holistic literacy and shall continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that there is massive production of learning and teaching materials for everyone to be literate.
We need to move beyond the traditional 3 Rs of Reading , wRiting and aRithmetic to embrace Digital LiteRacy as the 4th R,” said the Minister.
In 1966, the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) declared September 8 the International Literacy Day. Since then, teaching and learning institutions throughout the world have advocated for literacy as a strategy to enhance greater access to education.
