Reduce CALA projects: ARTUZ
Providence Moyo
As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education held the 2023 nationwide curriculum review this week, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) took the opportunity to call for reduction of Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (CALA) from five projects to one.
Speaking to Community Podium ARTUZ President Obert Masaraure said the current CALA is overwhelming stakeholders involved in the education system.
“If Competence Based Curriculum is here to stay, it would be better to reduce projects per learning area because currently the ministry is testing competence of parents and guardians as they are the ones doing the CALAs.
The current education system widens the gap between poor and rich children as it does not provide equal opportunities through this CALA. Most schools have no computers, no Internet access, not enough resources for this Curriculum. It is important for the Ministry of Education to consider the economic status of the average Zimbabwean family, the fact that we have child-headed families and children under the care of grandparents who cannot afford to put food on the table, let alone data and not all households with school going children have phones with Internet access to research, data charges are too high. What about rural children or those in the care of the elderly who are not computer literate?”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has been on record arguing that CALA would have been a success if teachers were equipped prior to the introduction of the curriculum as teachers find themselves do not fully understand CALA but they have to assist children deliver results.
One teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity said CALA is a stressful and overwhelming process to educators.
“The fact is that CALA is being done by third parties mostly teachers because you have a standard that you should mantain or improve rather than lowering it as a teacher so its a win – win situation for both the child and the teacher. We end up having more duties as each subject needs five CALAs which means if I have a leaner who registered 10 subjects they should produce 55 CALAs.
Of late children now prefer to abscond school when they have not completed the CALA which I believe is still essentially theory, not practical, so how are we gauging the competence of the children through these. For example a child poor in English still has to do a Geography CALA in English which he will fail because his challenge is English.”
On 23 and 24 May, the education ministry conducted 2023 curriculum review consultations, with every school used as a consultation centre between.
