Five teacher education and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions from the southern region of Zimbabwe met in Bulawayo on the 14th of February 2020 to review their Change Projects’ progression. Change Projects are transformation initiatives from the Capacity Building Programme on Education for Sustainable Development (CAP-ESD). The pivotal issue raised at the workshop was centred around the argument, ‘not any kind of education input promotes ESD in the curriculum.’
Participants observed that ESD has already been amalgamated into the competence-based education in schools. “It is high time that teacher education transforms to align with what is happening in schools. Many reforms are happening in teacher education, but does any kind of education input promote ESD in the curriculum?” Mrs Rose Mavhunga, the Vice Principal of United College of Education said in her opening remarks.
The project presentations illustrated efforts towards the inclusion of ESD in teacher and TVET education curricula to be in harmony with ESD informed competence-based education in schools. Projects showcased included: intangible cultural heritage for Maths and Science learning in early childhood education, integration of ESD into teaching practice assessment instruments, enhancing sustainable development in TVET through the use of ICTs in formative assessment, and issues-based pedagogies for sustainable communities and production of indigenous language booklets.
Despite the commendable progress towards successful project goals, the involvement of senior management in institutions was lacking in most Change Project presentations. Inter-departmental engagement and communication within the institutions was therefore encouraged to promote lifelong education.
Stakeholders encouraged participants to make deliberate efforts in their Change Projects to support teachers with pedagogies that take care of innovation and inclusivity, preservation and protecting environmental resources, equity, inter-cultural respect (Ubuntu), engagement with the communities, life-long learning, critical thinking, flexibility, problem solving and adaptability.
For more information, please contact: c.chikunda@unesco.org
I have just read this now and is very fascinating ,iam very glad to have picked pinpointed ideals on how we can take education to the next level,not necessarily shaping our desires as teachers at the expenses of our learer’s but to make means suitable and enjoying for them, thanks to this we are one and we will surely Implement these desired goals 😊