In his remarks at the Global Week for Education (GAWE) held at Chedope Primary School, Dr. Torerayi Moyo, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, rallied stakeholders’ commitment to delivering on global education goals.
“Today, we gather here to mark a significant occasion: the Global Action Week for Education 2024 (GAWE 2024). This annual campaign, celebrated worldwide by education ministries, movements, and advocates, holds special importance as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). We are reminded of the historic moment in Dakar, Senegal, in 1999 when civil society organizations and movements from across the globe united to advocate for Education for All (EFA). GAWE 2024 serves as a crucial reminder to governments, decision-makers, and stakeholders of their commitments to deliver on global education goals,” Hon Moyo said.
He reaffirmed the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s dedication to fulfilling the promises made by His Excellency, President ED Mnangagwa to abide by the Kenyatta Declaration on Education Financing. In line with the Incheon Declaration, which calls for governments to allocate 20% of the national budget to education, he said the ministry is committed to reaching the set threshold.
Zimbabwe’s current education budget stands at 18%, but the ministry is resolute in its efforts to achieve the 20% target by 2025 while GAWE plays a pivotal role in raising awareness of the importance of education.
In addition to this, the week reminds stakeholders to strive towards the realisation of sustainable development and the commitments made by all to reach the Global Education Goal by 2030.
For Zimbabwe, Minister Moyo said this is particularly important since education is one of the key sectors that have a role to play towards the realisation of National Development Goals such as the country’s envisioned prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income status by the year 2030.
Not only is education important for our country’s goals, but it is also important to the goals of the SADC region and the entire continent as it assists in attaining the realisation of the SADC We Want and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The Ministry’s collaborative efforts, alongside esteemed partners such as the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (ECOZI), are centered around transformative education.
“We aim to challenge narrow conceptions that view education solely as a set of learning outcomes. Instead, transformative education fosters social justice, sustainable development, and individual and collective freedom. It is this vision that lies at the heart of our ministry’s focus. Transformative education seeks to cultivate values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors that promote harmony among individuals, communities, and the environment.
“This year, as we celebrate the African Union (AU) Year of Education, our commemoration of GAWE 2024 aligns with the AU’s agenda. It provides a platform to raise awareness about the importance of education, highlight key education issues, and mobilize support to address challenges such as access to education, quality of education, gender disparities, and the impact of emergencies and crises on education. The theme for GAWE 2024 is “Transformative Education.” This theme invites us as a nation to reflect on Zimbabwe’s commitments to the Transforming Education Summit (TES) held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2022.”
During the TES, several African Heads of State, including the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, made bold commitments to transform their education systems in response to the crisis driven by COVID-19. Among our commitments, the country pledged to construct more schools to create a conducive teaching and learning environment for all learners and accommodate those who have returned to school under the continuous education policy. This year, the Ministry will construct a significant number of schools and rehabilitate existing ones to meet this commitment.
Furthermore, Zimbabwe is dedicated to investing heavily in teacher development, recruitment, and deployment. As evidence of its commitment, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has already recruited a substantial number of teachers, and more will be recruited to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in schools. Minister Moyo said well-trained and motivated teachers are the bedrock of a quality education system. Another critical aspect of the commitments is increasing budgetary allocation to the education sector, to reach at least 20 percent of the national budget.
Minister Moyo added that adequate funding is vital to address the diverse needs of the education system and ensure equitable access to quality education for all.
“As we commemorate the 2024 GAWE, it is imperative that we also recognize the importance of lifelong learning. It is a commitment to continuous growth and development that extends far beyond formal education. In this regard, we applaud ourselves for the 2024-2030 curriculum reforms, known as the Heritage-Based Curriculum, which emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and entrepreneurship. These skills are essential for our learners to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” Hon Moyo said.
