GOVERNMENT’s new higher education thrust emphasising mathematics and science rather than social sciences is meant to feed into the bigger scheme of reducing government expenditure as demanded by international lending institutions, NewsDay has learnt.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
A senior education official claimed government had realised that social science courses at the country’s universities and colleges required more lecturers than science, technology, engineering and mathematics, acronymed “STEM”.
“Social science degrees require more lecturers and this is putting a strain on the fiscus. There is a realisation that STEM courses are core streamlined and will result in savings, while social science programmes contain more modules and hence more lecturers,” NewsDay heard.
“In fact, there is a fight between Treasury and the (Higher Education) ministry over this. Treasury thinks the universities and colleges are over-staffed because they work with the 40 students to a single lecturer ratio. But this does not work with social sciences because some modules actually attract just 10 students and they still require a lecturer dedicated to that class.”
However, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa poured cold water on the claims, instead calling on education institutions to order.
“No! STEM policy has nothing to do with the rationalisation of the civil service that is currently underway. This is so because the rationalisation is not a function of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology but that of the Public Service ministry,” Gandawa told NewsDay in response to questions on the issue.
Government is reportedly contemplating massive retrenchments on the advice of multilateral lending institutions as President Robert Mugabe’s administration seeks to return Zimbabwe to the international economic family after years in the “wilderness”.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Gandawa singled out the National University of Science and Technology as well as the Chinhoyi University of Technology as culprits.
“Our institutions have deviated from their mandate. We have institutions that were established specifically for science and technology, but now, we realise they have more numbers in social sciences and humanities than their core business for which they were set up.
“We are, therefore, emphasising that all institutions must revert to their core mandate. If you look at institutions such as the National University of Science and Technology as well as the Chinhoyi University of Technology, they have shifted, while the Harare Institute of Technology is doing very well,” he said.
The deputy minister, however, said it was important that higher education institutions should tailor their programmes in line with industry demands. “Enrolments should be based on available jobs or anticipated growth in the economic sector. Our training programmes should be informed by the demands of industry and commerce so that we do not add to the already growing list of the unemployed.
“Emphasis on STEM will revive industry by turning ideas into products and creating employment for social scientists. Even in a situation like ours, there should be projections as to the number of engineers or chemical analysts we might require in the next four years” Gandawa said.
Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo has declared that in the near future, students without Mathematics at Ordinary Level will not be allowed to proceed to high school or university.
