BULAWAYO, Aug. 12 (NewsDay Live) — Government has exempted students specialising in minority indigenous languages from the mathematics prerequisite for enrolment into secondary teacher training, in a move aimed at boosting the teaching of endangered local languages.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Fredrick Shava said the special dispensation would take effect from the first semester of 2026.
Addressing graduates at Hillside Teachers’ College’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday, Shava said the exemption was part of government’s broader commitment to preserving minority languages.
The move coincides with the college’s introduction of ChiNambya to its curriculum, bringing to seven the number of indigenous languages taught at Hillside.
“Students and lecturers in indigenous languages are actively producing literature and pedagogical materials to sustain this work,” Shava said.
He said the college was reimagining heritage rather than simply preserving it.
Hillside, popularly known as the “Rainbow College” because of its multilingual offering, graduated 441 students this year, comprising 149 men and 292 women.
Shava said male enrolment had reached 33.8%, describing the figure as evidence of progress in narrowing gender disparities in teacher training. He added that 48.4% of the graduates qualified in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The minister also highlighted the growth of Hillside’s Work for Fees Programme, which allows students to offset tuition fees through campus labour.
The programme now supports 63 students, up from 38 in 2024, representing a 65.8% increase.
“The Work for Fees Programme now supports 63 students, up from 38 last year, a 65.8% increase that stands as a compassionate and practical response to the needs of our most vulnerable learners,” Shava said.
The college currently supports 21 students with disabilities.
Beyond academics, Shava highlighted Hillside’s income-generating projects, including a garment production unit supplying markets across the Southern African Development Community, a bakery and a government-funded madhumbe crisps factory.
The crisps factory is also intended to provide practical training for students studying agriculture and food science.
