Dokora scoffs at critics

Source: Dokora scoffs at critics – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 26, 2017

PRIMARY and Secondary Education minister Lazurus Dokora has scoffed at critics of his new education curriculum and vowed to soldier on with the programme.

BY Stephen Chadenga

Dokora made the remarks during the commissioning of a classroom block at Sarah Bata Senior School in Gweru on Wednesday.

“Some people have been attacking us on social media, asking why (the new curriculum) has been introduced,” he said.

“Even some of our students, who are always on social media, were saying we don’t want the curriculum. But we stay in a country and not on social media platforms and so we are not perturbed, but would carry on with the task.”

Dokora said the curriculum was a product of countrywide consultations with a view to align the education system with international trends, particularly the need to link theory and practical skills.

“Our emphasis should on the acquisition of lifelong and work-related competencies with the learner taking centre stage of the teaching and learning processes. We must offer learning outcomes that are performance-oriented that reflect competencies required for improved prospects for life, work and leisure in a changing environment.”

The minister has been under fire from stakeholders, who argue that the updated curriculum would cause damage to the education sector.

Dokora is no stranger to controversy. In his first year as Education minister in 2013, he caused an uproar countrywide when he banned teachers’ incentives before he introduced the contentious national pledge, followed by the new curriculum and the goats-for-school fees mantra.