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(HERALD) Develop literature for higher, tertiary education, academics urged

Develop literature for higher, tertiary education, academics urged
Herald Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN academics should develop literature for higher and tertiary education so that the country stops its dependency on foreign sources of information, the Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Dr Washington Mbizvo, said yesterday.

He was speaking at the launch of an indigenous book, "St2eep Guide to Resource Materials — Using Resource Materials in Secondary and Tertiary Education", which he commissioned in Harare recently.

"We need to do away with most of the literature in use in our teachers’ colleges and polytechnics which originates from abroad while we have professionals at all levels of education with immense knowledge and experience that is being suppressed.

"Imported literature tends to utilise the scarce foreign currency resources which the country badly needs and such books are unaffordable, hence the need to promote the use of indigenous material and resources," he said.

While acknowledging that foreign literature had a useful role, he said it fails to portray Zimbabwe’s cultural values and identity, leading to the current situation where some Zimbabwean youths copy foreign role models and become strangers in their own land.

"Our children inevitably ape the foreign role models subsequently becoming strangers to their own environment," said Dr Mbizvo.

St2eep Resource Book was written by lecturers from Belvedere, Hillside and Mutare teachers colleges. It focuses on environmental education ranging from the well-known charts, pictures and models over electronic equipment and computers to kinaesthetic activities, fieldwork and special days.

Labels: EDUCATION, THE HERALD, ZIMABWE

posted by MrK @ 3:52 AM