EMAKHANDENI-LUVEVE legislature Decent Bajila has raised concern over delays by the government to introduce aviation studies at Luveve High School.
Bajila made the remarks during a recent parliamentary debate when he asked Primary and Secondary Education minister Torerai Moyo to inform the House on the progress made towards the introduction of aviation studies at Luveve High School.
He also asked Moyo to confirm whether there are alternative plans to move aviation studies from Luveve High School to Allan Wilson High School.
Reports indicated that Luveve High School was designated by the government as a pilot school for aviation studies in Zimbabwe in 2023, but the programme’s implementation has faced delays and uncertainty.
While a syllabus was being developed in 2024, there were unverified reports this year about plans to move the programme to Allan Wilson High School in Harare.
In his response, Moyo informed Parliament that the government was making progress towards the introduction of aviation studies at Luveve High School.
“Currently, feasibility studies are being undertaken to determine the viability and scope of implementing such a specialised programme,” he said.
“As part of these studies, the ministry has engaged key stakeholders and conducted benchmarking visits to institutions including the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Manyame Airbase Technical Training School, Josiah Tungamirai Air Force Base and several private (players) in the aviation sector.”
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Moyo said the engagements were instrumental in identifying potential entry points for aviation- related training.
“The findings so far indicate that there are low-hanging aviation courses that can be introduced in the short to medium term.
“However, before the programme is rolled out, certain critical preliminaries must be addressed,” he said.
“Chief among these is the establishment of a memorandum of understanding with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe.”
Moyo said the partnership would enable the training of teachers to competently deliver aviation content, ensuring that the suitability and certification of facilities and most importantly ensuring that the qualifications awarded to learners are recognised within the aviation industry.
“It is important to underscore that the aviation sector is a highly regulated field. As such, the ministry is taking a cautious and well-informed approach guided by relevant regulatory bodies to guarantee that the programme delivers genuine value to learners and aligns with industry standards,” the MP said.
He allayed fears over relocation of the programme to other centres of learning.
“I wish to clarify that at this stage, the ministry’s primary focus remains on establishing aviation studies at Luveve High School.
“Should the implementation at Luveve prove successful and subject to availability of resources, the government will consider expanding the programme to other provinces,” Moyo said, including exploring additional sites such as Allan Wilson High School in due course.
