Govt says all schools must align to heritage-based curriculum by 2027, ZIMSEC to expand
Staff Writer, Parliamentary Watch
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. T. Moyo, told the Senate on Thursday last week that Zimbabwe is moving to ensure all schools offer the heritage-based curriculum, with a goal that by 2027 institutions across the education system will be able to offer ZIMSEC examinations.
Following public debate around non-ZIMSEC examination boards, Hon. Sen. Mupfumira sought clarification whether such schools are still allowed to register with ZIMSEC and when the change would take effect.
Hon. Moyo said some people had misunderstood government communication, but the Cabinet position is that the heritage-based curriculum is Zimbabwe’s national curriculum and must be implemented across government, mission, independent and private schools.
He said schools that offer Cambridge examinations are not being barred, but must also align with the national curriculum, noting that current exam classes writing this year would not be affected.
He said some institutions, including schools serving diplomats, would not be disrupted abruptly, but the wider policy expectation is that schools will comply with the Education Act provisions cited in the chamber.
Hon. Sen. Manyengavana asked about learners already mid-way through two-year Cambridge syllabi, including those in Form 3 and Form 5.
The Minister said those students should continue with Cambridge but would be taught to also do ZIMSEC, arguing that many subjects are similar across curricula, with major differences in heritage-focused areas such as Zimbabwean history.
A further question from Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka urged government to move toward teaching sciences such as physics and chemistry in vernacular languages.
In response, Hon. Moyo said early-grade instruction in vernacular languages is already a positive step, but extending this to higher-level subjects would require coordinated planning across government, including universities and teacher training institutions. He said government was not yet able to give a timeline.
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