Trust Freddy–Herald Correspondent
The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development will publish a new book next week that explores the critical role of Education 5.0 as the foundation of society.
Under the title “Redefining Zimbabwe’s Education System: ED Mnangagwa’s Vision and Transformational Leadership”, the book highlights how education can be a driving force for progress, and lays out a path for using it to promote economic, social and cultural development.
The book will be launched on Thursday next week, as the Second Republic continues to seek home-grown heritage-based solutions to develop students capable of resolving local challenges.
“This essay on redefining Zimbabwe’s education is one of focused and bold action, not pontification, doubt, fear or guilt,” reads the cover page of the book.
“For Zimbabwe, there have not been as courageous steps to transform the system as is promised by Heritage Based Education 5.0. Zimbabwe historically built one of the most extensive education systems with record levels of literacy and numeracy.”
The book also explores the educational and developmental significance of some of President Mnangagwa’s mantras, such as “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo,” which means “A nation is developed by its people”, and “Leaving no one and no place behind”.
These mantras emphasise the importance of inclusivity and collective effort in building a strong, developed society.
The book describes Education 5.0 as a journey, not a mere destination.
“The journey is in redefining education and its role in national development. The framework is for Zimbabweans to build their nation, based on the nation’s values and unique history and identity,” it reads.
“It has been argued in this essay that education is, and ought to be the DNA of society, containing and refining the instructions needed for the nation to develop, survive and reproduce itself.
“The heritage base of education is to inform subsequent generations about their origins or roots and that the further back we can look the further forward we can see!”
The book also argues that a knowledge industry grounded in African values and culture will usher in a new era and a new dawn for the continent.
In conclusion, the book argues that President Mnangagwa’s vision for a “developmental state” is being realised through the creation of “developmental universities that prioritise education as a means to achieve economic, social, and cultural progress”.
The Second Republic has been working round the clock to transform higher education in Zimbabwe to promote the production of qualified specialists and technicians, especially in the natural and applied sciences, engineering and technology, the medical and health sciences, and agriculture, among other critical sectors.
The Government largely sees tertiary education as a key driver of economic growth and poverty reduction as it plays a critical role in training a qualified and adaptable labour force, generating new knowledge through basic and applied research and promoting the use of new and emerging technologies.
President Mnangagwa has spearheaded the adoption of the Heritage-based Education 5.0 model in the country’s institutions of higher learning to help promote research and innovation in the use of local resources.
Education 5.0 is based on teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialisation and it seeks to move the nation forward toward an innovation-led and knowledge-driven economy.
This new model, which was adopted four years ago, aims to produce graduates who solve national problems instead of just being job seekers.
