Emakhandeni-Luveve MP Descent Bajila has urged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to issue a ministerial statement on Zimbabwe’s readiness to implement the Heritage-Based Curriculum, citing concerns over teacher preparedness and system readiness.
The government began implementing the Heritage-Based Curriculum framework (2024–2030) this year.
The new framework introduces a two-route pathway for learners, allowing them to choose between academic pursuits or vocational skills training. It also replaces the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALAs) with school-based projects.
Under the Heritage-Based Curriculum, Ordinary Level students will take five compulsory subjects—English Language, Mathematics, Indigenous Language, Combined Science, and Heritage Studies—along with an option to study up to three more.
Advanced Level learners will follow one of five pathways: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Visual and Performing Arts; Technical and Vocational Education and Training; Humanities; or Commercials.
Early Childhood Development (ECD) through Grade Seven activities have been streamlined, reducing the number of learning areas from a minimum of 27 to a maximum of six.
Raising a point of national interest in Parliament, Bajila expressed concerns that educators are ill-prepared for the new curriculum, which is set to be examined for the first time in 2025.
“Education delivery requires a uniform template of learning materials and implementing tools across the country,” said Bajila. “To date, eight weeks before the start of the 2025 school calendar, teachers have not been equipped to implement the new curriculum.”
He highlighted that Grade Six and Seven teachers remain unsure about the syllabus, facing the same challenges they encountered under the CALA system.
Bajila stressed that implementing heritage in teaching science and innovation demands significant resources and teacher training. “This is not something learners can acquire from their parents. Schools need to be fully capacitated to deliver such content,” he said.
The curriculum’s emphasis on long-term, project-based learning adds further complications. Bajila noted that many projects require extended observation, which should have started in 2024 for learners sitting exams in 2025. However, the delay in starting these projects, coupled with a high teacher-to-learner ratio, hampers effective supervision and delivery.
“Any further delay in addressing the teacher-to-learner ratio will negatively impact the curriculum’s implementation and efficiency,” Bajila warned.
Bajila called for a parliamentary inquiry into the country’s readiness to implement the new curriculum, arguing that readiness involves more than policy announcements and official launches.
“If necessary, I urge the Speaker to summon the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to present a ministerial statement on Zimbabwe’s readiness to implement the Heritage-Based Curriculum,” Bajila said.
