GOVERNMENT last Thursday announced that passes in O level mathematics and science was now a prerequisite for enrolment at university in addition to a certain number of A level points.
By Staff Reporter
Higher and Tertiary Education deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa announced the new policy while addressing Senators during a parliamentary question-and-answer session.
Gandawa said a directive will soon be issued out to all universities to reduce the enrolment of students, who want to study social sciences and humanities so that they focus more on scientific courses.
“We are going to direct universities to reduce the number of enrolments in terms of social sciences and humanities and increase intake in maths and sciences,” he said.
“We will not be able to produce engineers and scientists. Unemployment emanates from us allowing more students to enrol in commercial studies and humanities because they have no science and maths. We are allowing certain industries to die. We are moving towards mainstreaming the teaching of science and maths, so that we are able to drive the economy.”
Gandawa said it was in the country’s best interests to ensure development of science and technology learning from kindergarten.
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“We have realised it is a problem because the only time we emphasise the learning of maths and sciences is when students are at secondary school,” he said.
Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora also buttressed Gandawa’s assertions, telling Senate that the new school curriculum will ensure teaching of maths and science subjects at an early age at schools.
Asked to explain issues surrounding charging Grade 7 pupils examination fees, Dokora said children will be expected to pay $1 per term from Grade 6 towards the Grade 7 examination.
“Currently, over 324 000 learners are happily writing Grade 7 exams.
“It is 6% more candidates than last year. There is already more than 60% rate of payment for next year’s Grade 7 exams,” he explained.
Recently, Zimbabweans took to the streets complaining over charging Grade 7 students examination fees, saying it would restrict children from poor families from accessing basic education.
