Ministry
of Education, Sport adn Culture Policy Planning Annual Workshoop 1997 MIdlands
Hotel-Gweru r
The Division of Adult and Non-Formal Education Report
1
INTRODUCTION
The division's goals include the following:
1.1. Making
every adult literate.
1.2.
The development of a lifelong learning culture among all citizens.
1.3.
The acquisition of functional literacy skills that will improve the quality
of
life for all the learners.
1.4.The
Adult and Distance Education Section in particular is committed to the
provision and promotion of affordable, accessible and
continuing quality
education to out-of-school children, youths and
adults through a
combination of appropriate non-formal and formal
education approaches
and facilities to enable them to contribute fully to
their own and the nation's
overall development. The role of the section is, therefore, to
formulate
policy on adult, continuing and distance education to
create facilities and
opportunities for learning outside the formal system
and to co-ordinate and
monitor the activities, personnel and organisations
involved in the
programmes under its charge. The programmes are: Part-Time Continuing
Education Classes (PTCEC). Study Groups: The Government
Correspondence Primary Schools* Vacation
School Courses:
Independent and Correspondence colleges and the Ex-Refugees
and Ex-Combatants Scholarship Programme.
1.5.
The responsibilities of the Adult Literacy and Mass Education Section
continue to be in the four broad areas
namely:
The mission
statement of this section is:
"to
provide literacy, post functional literacy and primary education to adults through schools
and other suitable centres and facilities nation-wide in order to improve .the quality of
life of the individuals in the first place and of the nation as a whole."
ACHIEVEMENTS
2.ADULT AND DISTANCE EDUCATION SECTION
2.1. The Part-time Continuing Education Classes Programme is
becoming
more popular because the enrolment
has increased by 4 658 (28) from last
year's figure of 16 321 and the number of
centres has gone up from 150 to
177 (18%).
2.2. Women constitute about 50% of the total
enrolment which is a desirable
trend.
2.3. Generally, reasonably good pass rates were
achieved throughout the
country.
2.4. The number of Study Group Centres has increased from 210 in 1996
to
236 (12%) and the total
enrolment of learners from 17466 to 20 588
(15%).
2.5.
These
increases are probably a reflection of a favourable agricultural
season.
2.6 .
The enrolment of pupils at the Correspondence School steady increased
from157 in Term One to 190 (26%) in Term
Three. This was probably
due
to the fact that more parents came to
know the existence of the school.
2.7. Of the 190 pupils, 121 are white, 68 black and 1 coulored. Whites
still
predominate mainly because the facilities
offered have been known to them
for over half a century whereas few black
realise that the school exists.
The situation is, however, improving.
2.8. The greatest achievement of the school were the
two training courses for
teachers in the Design, Preparation and
Evaluation of mixed media
courseware for Distance education and the
acquisition of equipment for
the training workshops. The courses were sponsored by the Zimbabwe
Canada General Training Facility, which
organisation also donated
equipment in the form of computers, a
photocopier, laminator, television set,
video recorder, video camera and
radio cassette recorders.
2.9. As far as the Vacation
School courses are concerned, the response from
regions was very encouraging this year as shown
by an increase in the
number of centres from 21 to 35. This was probably due to
better
publicity, and better remuneration for the
supervisors in accordance with
C.E.O. circular No. 26 of 1995.
2.10.After the break of about two years contact
between The Ministry and
Correspondence Colleges
representatives was re-established. The
meetings of Correspondence and Independent
Private Colleges have been
held regularly.
2.11.The national Scholarship Selection Committee
was put in place with
members drawn from the Ministries of Education,
Sport and Culture and
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, The
committee has been vetting
regularly to award scholarships,
3.0.
ADULT LITERACY AND MASS EDUCATION
3.1. The increase in tutor's allowance from £5 to $50 has had a
motivational
effect on tutors whose number in creased considerably
since 1993.
3.2. Since 1993, the
section has continued to register more literacy centres.
Most literacy centres have a number of classes
at basic and post literacy
levels. Nearly all participants
in the literacy programme are also involved
in income generating projects.
3.3. Statistical evaluation in the form of tests in numeracy, reading and writing in
every October to determine which learners have become
literate were
done. To date the cumulative number of
literates since 1985 now stands at
94039.
3.4. The requirement in most places of work to have some
qualification is
encouraging most people to join the Zimbabwe Adult
Basic Education
Course. This
is a three year course equivalent to the primary school seven
grades.
3.5.
OTHERS
3.5.1.The International Literacy Day (8 September) celebrations
went on very
well throughout. the country. Prizes and awards were
presented to
winners at regional and district levels.
3.5.2.A training of trainers REFLECT workshop was held at
Domboshawa
Training Centre in September 1996. REFLECT standing for
Regenerated
Freirean Literacy Through Empowering Community
Techniques is a new
approach to Adult Literacy. At the moment the
trainers trained at
Domboshawa are evaluating the REFLECT pilot project
at Senga Training
Centre. (24 - 28 Nov. 1997).
3.5.3.A lot of manuscripts in both literacy and
ZABEC have been produced
and are awaiting printing
.
3.5.4.The
British Association for Literacy In Development (BALID) a UK
Non-Governmental organisation (NGO) that promotes literacy
as a basic
human right sent two representatives to Zimbabwe to discuss
the possibility
of holding a workshop to capitalise on skills already
gained. The
background to this is
because
some students studying in UK attended
these courses and have now expressed to have a similar course run at
home.
One workshop is earmarked for march next year.
PROBLEMS
4.ADULT
AND DISTANCE EDUCATION SECTION
4.1.
Apart from Masvingo and Harare Regions, most of the Education Officers
were not able to make frequent visits to PTCEC
(centres) owing to financial
constraints, lack of transport and other logistical
problems.
4.2. The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture cannot register more centres
despite the high demand for them due to inadequate
financial allocation for
the programme.
4.3.
Large centres are faced with huge light, water and maintenance bills and,
consequently supervisors are forced to scale down
their operations.
4.4. There
is general problem across the board in the acquisition of suitable
reading and learning materials.
4.5. The Section was unable
to mount workshops for personnel in the Regions
due to financial constraints.
4.6.
In the Study Groups Programme a lack of co-ordination between
Responsible Authorities and
Chief mentors sometimes results in inaccurate
attendance lists. This could lead to abuse
when responsible Authorities
submit claims for mentors' salary allowances.
4.7. Many
Study Group centres do not keep accurate records.
4.8.
Policy circulars sent to Regions by Head Office were not always distributed
to centres.
4.9.
Delays
in the payment of mentors' salary allowances are still being
experienced.
4.10.Many
study groups students still face difficulties in registering for public
examinations.
4.11.Distance education
materials prepared by some Correspondence colleges
are generally
not up to date.
4.12.Mentors' salary allowances continue to lag behind that of
temporary
teachers due to inadequate budgetary
provisions.
4.13.Absence of travel and subsistence allocation severely curtailed the
supervisory activities of the Correspondence
School teachers as they could
not visit supervisors and groups to assess the
progress of the pupils on the
ground.
4.14.In some centres the Vacation school was unpopular due to
high fees
charged.
4.15.Rural
schools seem to experience some difficulty in establishing viable
classes.
4.16.Some
teachers have expressed dissatisfaction over what they feel is a very
wide gab between the remuneration for
supervisors and teacher
4.17.The major problem with Correspondence Colleges is that
the Ministry
has not been able to ensure that distance
education materials given out by
them meet the Ministry's standards.
4.18.Generally, independent colleges have qualified tutors on
paper but in
practice employ under qualified personnel. This is especially true
of the
small, less known colleges.
4.19.Some
colleges premises are below the required standard.
4.20.Students at those colleges which are not registered with ZIMSEC
still
encounter difficulties to find suitable and
accessible centres for public
examinations,
4.21.People who place advertisements in the press
purporting to offer private
tuition to individual pupils may, in fact, be
operating illegal colleges. It
is,
however, difficult to bring them to book as
there is no law that prohibits the
practice.
4.22.The money made available to Ex-Refugees and Ex-Combatants
Scholarship Programme, that
is over one million dollars annually is very
inadequate.
4.23.The Government has no clear policy on the time span for the
scholarship
programme.
5.0 ADULT LITERACY AND MASS EDUCATION
5.1. The biggest constraint during the year was that of funding. Virtually all
literacy programmes are dependent on donor funds. When these funds are
not offered, like this year, the section is very much incapacitated in its
operations. As a
result, the planners find it very difficult to make realistic
work plans. This has virtually
affected the production of the "Keeping In
Touch Newsletter."
5.2 Under Esap and the general issues concerning
the reduction of the public
service, the section was not spared of problems
relating to abolished posts
due to voluntary retirement, resignations or even
transfers. The section
operated without two Ndebele writers, one Shona
writer and was
constantly under threats of being told to send the
seconded teachers back to
schools. Such working conditions did dampen the
morale of the section
especially towards the end of the year.
THE LITERATURE BUREAU
1.0 ROLE
Its role is summarised as:-
1.1. Providing the post-literate people with reading material.
1.2. Producing books that could be used in formal school and supplementary
reading material in schools.
1.3. Encouraging authorship among the people including school children.
2.0. ACHIEVEMENTS
2.1. Published 8 books i.e.:
(i)
Madirativhange - (Shona Poetry Authology)
(ii) Multi-Usina Zita - (Shona Poetry Authology)
(iii) Nyika Ndeyedu - (Shona Novee)
(iv) Ndakazvibaya - (Shona short story)
(v) The Rain Maker - (English Short Story)
(vi) The Rain Maker - (English Short Story)
(vii) Jongwe Nyoka na Kamba - (Shona Short Story)
(viii) Kamba Amqaza Mwoto - (Shona Short Story)
2.2. Started a pilot programme of clubs in schools with the hope of
encouraging
writing and reading of books by school
children. These are called
writer/book clubs.
2.3. Conducted 10 book tours where books are sold to school children in
different regions. It is also during
these tours that the Bureau is able to
assess the popularity of its books
especially new publications.
3.0. PROBLEMS
3.1. Lack of equipment e.g. computers, photocopiers etc.
3.2. Vacant posts not filled, some since 1994 (3 post in Harare, 1 in Bulawayo).
3.3. No funds for the staff development.
3.4. Request to upgrade promotion posts not done. Currently the post of
Chief
Publication Officer is well below that of
Education Officer.
|
