The following is a guest post by Eng. Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi.
Education is often heralded as the cornerstone of national development, a tool that empowers individuals, fosters innovation, and drives economic growth. In Zimbabwe, a nation with a rich history of educational achievement, the state of its education system remains a topic of significant concern. The challenges facing Zimbabwe’s education system have been exacerbated by economic instability, political turbulence, and a myriad of social issues.
Amid these challenges, a compelling argument has emerged: lecturers who have never worked outside academia should undergo industrial placements or industrial attachments. I will explore the current state of education in Zimbabwe, the rationale behind this argument, and the potential benefits of such a policy.
Zimbabwe’s education system has long been regarded as one of the most advanced in Africa. Following independence in 1980, the government prioritized education, leading to rapid expansion and increased access to schooling at all levels. The literacy rate soared, and Zimbabwe became known for producing some of the continent’s best-educated citizens.
However, the economic downturn that began in the late 1990s had a profound impact on education. Hyperinflation, currency collapse, and a shrinking economy led to decreased funding for education, deteriorating infrastructure, and a significant brain drain as educators left the country in search of better opportunities. The once-celebrated education system began to crumble under the weight of these challenges.
Challenges in the Classroom: A System Under Strain
Today, Zimbabwe’s education system is beset by numerous challenges, many of which stem from the country’s prolonged economic difficulties. These challenges include inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, low morale among teachers and lecturers, and a curriculum that often fails to meet the needs of the modern job market.
The Zimbabwean government’s ability to fund education has been severely compromised by its economic struggles. Schools and universities often operate on shoestring budgets, resulting in a lack of resources, outdated textbooks, and poorly maintained facilities. This has a direct impact on the quality of education, as students are unable to access the tools they need to succeed.
Many educational institutions in Zimbabwe are in a state of disrepair. Classrooms are overcrowded, and basic amenities such as electricity, clean water, and sanitation are often lacking. This environment is not conducive to learning and further demoralises both students and educators.
The morale of educators in Zimbabwe is at an all-time low. Salaries are meager, and many teachers struggle to make ends meet. This has led to widespread absenteeism, as teachers seek additional sources of income. Furthermore, the profession has lost its appeal to the younger generation, who see little incentive to enter a field that offers such limited financial rewards and professional growth.
One of the most critical issues facing Zimbabwe’s education system is the disconnect between the curriculum and the demands of the job market. Many graduates leave university with degrees that do not align with the skills required by employers. This has fueled graduate unemployment, underemployment, and frustration among young people..
Bridging the Gap: The Case for Lecturer Industrial Placements
In light of these challenges, the argument for requiring lecturers who have never worked outside academia to undergo industrial placements or industrial attachments is compelling. This proposal is rooted in the need to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that educators are better equipped to prepare students for the realities of the job market.
Lecturers who have only ever worked within academia may lack practical knowledge of how their subject matter is applied in the real world. While they may be well-versed in theoretical concepts, they might not fully understand the practical challenges and nuances that professionals face in their respective fields. Industrial placements would provide these lecturers with firsthand experience, allowing them to bring a more practical and relevant perspective to their teaching.
For example, a lecturer in engineering who has never worked in the industry may not be aware of the latest technological advancements or the specific challenges faced by engineers in the field. By undergoing an industrial placement, this lecturer would gain insights that could significantly enhance their teaching, making it more relevant and applicable to the needs of their students.
There is often a significant disconnect between what is taught in universities and what is required in the job market. This gap can be attributed, in part, to the lack of industry experience among lecturers. By participating in industrial placements, lecturers can develop a better understanding of industry needs and trends, which can then inform their teaching and curriculum development.
This alignment between academia and industry is crucial in a country like Zimbabwe, where graduate unemployment is a major concern. If lecturers are more attuned to the demands of the job market, they can better prepare their students for employment, thereby reducing the mismatch between graduates’ skills and employers’ expectations.
Benefits of Lecturer Industry Experience
Ultimately, the goal of industrial placements for lecturers is to improve the overall quality of education in Zimbabwe. When lecturers have a deeper understanding of the practical applications of their subject matter, they can deliver more engaging and relevant lessons. This not only benefits students but also enhances the reputation of educational institutions.
Improved education quality can also lead to better student outcomes, including higher employment rates for graduates. As lecturers become more effective in their teaching, students are more likely to develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the job market.
Industrial placements can also foster a culture of lifelong learning among educators. In a rapidly changing world, it is essential for lecturers to continuously update their knowledge and skills. By engaging with industry, lecturers can stay abreast of the latest developments in their field, ensuring that their teaching remains current and relevant.
This culture of lifelong learning can have a ripple effect throughout the education system, encouraging students to adopt the same mindset. As students see their lecturers actively engaging with industry and continuously improving their skills, they are more likely to appreciate the value of lifelong learning and apply it to their own careers.
Solving the Implementation Hurdles
While the benefits of industrial placements for lecturers are clear, implementing such a policy in Zimbabwe would not be without its challenges. These challenges must be carefully considered to ensure the successful integration of industrial placements into the education system.
One of the primary challenges in implementing industrial placements for lecturers is identifying suitable industry partners who are willing and able to host educators. In a struggling economy like Zimbabwe’s, many industries may not have the capacity or resources to accommodate lecturers for extended periods. It will be crucial to establish partnerships with industries that are willing to invest in the development of educators and recognise the long-term benefits of such collaboration.
Another significant challenge is the logistical and financial constraints associated with industrial placements. Lecturers may need to take time off from their regular teaching duties to participate in placements, which could disrupt the academic calendar and place additional strain on already overburdened institutions. Furthermore, funding for these placements may be limited, particularly in a context where educational budgets are already stretched thin.
To address these challenges, it may be necessary to explore alternative models for industrial placements, such as short-term or part-time placements that allow lecturers to continue their teaching duties while gaining industry experience. Additionally, funding could be sought from external sources, such as international organizations or private sector partners, to support the implementation of this policy.
For industrial placements to be effective, they must be carefully aligned with the academic goals of the lecturers and the institutions they represent. It is essential to ensure that the placements are relevant to the subjects being taught and that the skills and knowledge gained can be directly applied in the classroom.
This requires close collaboration between educational institutions and industry partners to design placements that meet the needs of both parties. Regular evaluation and feedback mechanisms should also be established to assess the impact of the placements on teaching quality and student outcomes.
If successfully implemented, the policy of requiring industrial placements for unexperienced lecturers could have a transformative impact on Zimbabwe’s education system. The potential benefits extend beyond individual lecturers and students to the broader educational landscape and the economy as a whole.
One of the most significant potential impacts is the enhanced employability of graduates. By aligning academic curriculum with industry needs, lecturers can better prepare students for the job market, increasing their chances of finding meaningful employment after graduation. This, in turn, can help address the high levels of graduate unemployment that currently plague Zimbabwe.
Education is a critical driver of economic development, and by strengthening the link between education and industry, Zimbabwe can foster a more dynamic and innovative economy. As lecturers gain industry experience and bring this knowledge back to the classroom, they can help cultivate a new generation of graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also equipped with the practical skills needed to drive economic growth.
Finally, the successful implementation of industrial placements for lecturers could raise the profile of Zimbabwe’s educational institutions, both locally and internationally. As the quality of education improves and graduates become more competitive in the global job market, Zimbabwean universities and colleges could regain their reputation as centers of excellence in education.
Zimbabwe’s education system is at a critical juncture. While the challenges facing the system are formidable, they also present an opportunity for reform and innovation. The proposal to require lecturers who have never worked outside academia to undergo industrial placements is one such innovation that holds the potential to significantly improve the quality of education in Zimbabwe.
About the writer
I am a technology enthusiast and a very big dreamer, who believes that technology holds solutions for all sectors of the economy. My desire is to serve my generation and the next by enhancing civic education on matters of human rights and leverage the use of technology to achieve enlightenment and empowerment for all. To this end I am a loud and fearless spokesman for justice, corporate governance and matters of national concern.
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25 comments
what do you expect from government where if hospitals are open and there absolutely nothing in them… this is a win for them. this transfers to gvt institutions which are the bedrock for training any profession. where will students even learn anything
Vanako here kwekuvaendesa for industrial attachments because most of them are into academia because vaitotadza kupinda mu industry macho in the first place kusina mabasa.
Haurevi nhema!
Excellent idea Engineer which will improve our higher education input and impact on the industry. What I am rather worried about is its actually implementation on the ground. Whether lecturers will actually agree and go along with this good idea is another issue which needs to be resolved first. A lot of things need to be put into place for this to work. From work contract, duration and pay structures. Can the industry be able to pay the lecturers working in them something financially rewarding as they will be getting their relevant working experience or they will be getting only experience? Just adding my two sense on the issue…
Technology is always evolving, what would be needed is to have the lecturers get attachment to entities outside Zimbabwe where the evolution is happening. Even the students do not benefit much on industrial attachment as they go to places where the equipment used has been decommissioned in most countries, they benefit on the history of engineering when on attachment.
We inherited an education system that made us become an educated people. The momentum was not maintained to a stage of getting into reverse gear.
It all starts with those at the top, most of who never had any experience in any other environment between the liberation war and government position who can also benefit from attaching themselves to workplaces and village and township living to understand their constituency better, and maybe enhance on the distance education or honorary degree.
Is there anyone from ZIMBABWE COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION – Quality Assurance in Higher Education , http://www.zimche.ac.zw, who would care to make a comment?
Well articulated Engineer! But no government ears to listen to the idea..
Unless we have Zim companies that do R&D, for most engineering disciplines it doesn’t make any sense, unless our aim is to make over glorified technicians that pose as engineers.
Haurevi nhema!
Well said Eng Kudzi.I hope the authorities hear this.The government recently created a ministry of skills….
what,what.They talk of Education 5.0.What you postulate is very logical and practical .
To be realistic, universities can consult on curriculum development. Some already have advisory committees with industry partners. Students’ internship and graduate trainee programmes can cover whatever gap exists.
Universities are set up in a way that academics cannot have time for that sort of staff development.
In any case, that would be the shortest route for others to abandon academia.
Exactly
Exactly. The English is very good but the idea is rubbish
to be fair the Govt did try in a way through the infamous Standards Development and Research Unit (SDERU). SDERU was tasked with developing profiles and standards of performance by industry. From the standards it was expected to develop curriculum for manpower training in the technical and vocational education sector. It was also meant to be used in the assessment of industrial training and trade testing. Ideally this would be a feedback loop between industry and academia ensuring a consistent update on the curricula across all industry sectors – This would have fixed the disconnect. There were some assessments and consultations conducted in 2012 with industry leaders of respective sectors and curriculum was indeed updated as the first step.
SDERU was soon disbanded after it emerged the division was not on the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology’s structure, nearly three years after it was established. The unit was also not part of the civil service structure although it was funded to the tune of US$2 million annually by the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund and had 12 senior researchers, some of whom received salaries from Government and Zimdef.
It’s inexperienced not unexperienced by the way.
While I agree with having lecturers in industrial placement, perhaps we should also talk about the student industrial placements. Our economy is a shadow of what it used to be and because of that, there are no jobs available for people who have already graduated. The economy has shrunk significantly to the point where some students spend years trying to get industrial attachment and sometimes even when they do get it, they are not productive in ways that add anything to their knowledge. To make way for lecturers in industry, we need to scrap industrial attachment at the undergraduate level. This can reduce time spent in universities for undergraduate students and create room for lecturers to take up space in the industry and gain knowledge that they can then bring back to the institutions themselves, in a more meaningful way than having students do menial jobs for the sake of ” industry experience”. That can always come after completing one’s studies.
Education is an industry on its own right. Lecturers work on experience, expertise and theory. Besides, they do research in some of these industries. I doubt they are not aware of what is happening in the real world of work. A lecturer is suppose to be continuously learning and researching in his/her field of study. Moreover, have connections with other industry leaders.
Let’s hear what others have yo say on the subject.
Our Universities are hamstrung by lack of funding. I remember reading somewhere that Oxford University gets close to 1 billion USD per annum through private donations.
Their students have gone on to run some of the biggest companies in the world and they remember their schools. Its a culture that needs to be cultivated, no donation is a small donation. This also needs many of our companies to be the biggest in Africa or be in the top 50 at least, meaning they have reserves for such social corporate responsibility.
Our private sector has to lead the way, we cannot wait on a government with a myriad of challenges to solve or prioritise higher education when most of our leaders have not gone to University.
We hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness. — That to
secure these rights, Governments
are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed, —
That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive
of these ends, it is the Right of the
People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government,
laying its foundation on such
principles and organizing its
powers in such form, as to them
shall seem most likely to effect
their Safety and Happiness.
one honest man is worth more to
society than “all the elected ruffians that ever lived.”
Continued submission to a tyrannical ruler and an outworn government, or liberty
and happiness as a self-sufficient, independent republic? 🇿🇼
The Annapolis conference issued
a call for all the states to appoint
representatives to a convention to be
held the following spring in Philadel-
phia. The Continental Congress was
at first indignant over this bold step,
but it acquiesced after Washington
gave the project his backing and was
elected a delegate. During the next
fall and winter, elections were held in
all states but Rhode Island.
A remarkable gathering of no-
tables assembled at the Federal
Convention in May 1787. The state
legislatures sent leaders with expe-
rience in colonial and state govern-
ments, in Congress, on the bench,
and in the army. Washington, re-
garded as the country’s first citizen
because of his integrity and his mili-
tary leadership during the Revolu-
tion, was chosen as presiding officer.
Prominent among the more active
members were two Pennsylvanians:
Gouverneur Morris, who clearly saw
the need for national government,
and James Wilson, who labored in-
defatigably for the national idea.
Also elected by Pennsylvania was
Benjamin Franklin, nearing the end
of an extraordinary career of public
service and scientific achievement.
From Virginia came James Madison,
a practical young statesman, a thor-
ough student of politics and history,
and, according to a colleague, “from
a spirit of industry and application …
the best-informed man on any point
in debate.” He would be recognized
as the “Father of the Constitution.”
Massachusetts sent Rufus King
and Elbridge Gerry, young men of
ability and experience. Roger Sher-
man, shoemaker turned judge, was
one of the representatives from
Connecticut. From New York came
Alexander Hamilton, who had pro-
posed the meeting. Absent from the
Convention were Thomas Jefferson,
who was serving as minister repre-
senting the United States in France,
and John Adams, serving in the same
capacity in Great Britain. Youth pre-
dominated among the 55 delegates —
the average age was 42.
Congress had authorized the
Convention merely to draft amend-
ments to the Articles of Confedera-
tion but, as Madison later wrote, the
delegates, “with a manly confidence
in their country,” simply threw the
Articles aside and went ahead with
the building of a wholly new form
of government.
They recognized that the para-
mount need was to reconcile two
different powers — the power of
local control, which was already
being exercised by the 13 semi-in-
dependent states, and the power of
a central government. They adopted
the principle that the functions and
powers of the national government
— being new, general, and inclusive
— had to be carefully defined and
stated, while all other functions and
powers were to be understood as be-
longing to the states
I. Yale College
The Undergraduate Curriculum
Yale College, the undergraduate branch of Yale University, offers instruction in more
than 120 subjects spanning the liberal arts, sciences, and engineering. Its signature
residential college system and expansive extracurricular programs sustain a supportive
community of students, staff, scholars, and researchers. In 1701, the Connecticut
legislature passed an act to establish “a collegiate school” in which “Youth may be
instructed in the Arts & Sciences” and “fitted for Publick employment.” The collegiate
school became Yale College in 1718. For more than three centuries, Yale has provided
leadership in undergraduate education in the liberal arts and sciences. While the
university eventually grew to incorporate graduate and professional education, all
undergraduate education at Yale continues to be provided through the College. Now in
its fourth century, the College remains a recognized leader worldwide.
Yale College offers a liberal education that aims to:
• Educate talented students of diverse backgrounds to lead and serve in a complex
and changing society.
• Provide a supportive residential community of learning in which social experience
and the free exchange of ideas underpin the pursuit of knowledge.
• Cultivate both the broad intellectual, moral, civic, and creative capacities and the
more specialized skills that will allow students to thrive beyond the college gates.
• Draw on the distinctive strengths and traditions of Yale University as a globally
recognized leader across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering,
and the professions.
Yale seeks to educate students who are broad-minded and autonomous, capable
of making judgments and taking responsibility for their decisions. A Yale College
education should encourage students to become curious, engaged citizens. It should
also prepare them well for their professional lives and further educational opportunities
and help them develop as active learners who thrive in complex environments.
This philosophy of education corresponds with that expressed in the Yale Report of
1828, which draws a distinction between “expanding [the mind’s] powers, and storing it
with knowledge.” Acquiring facts is important, but learning how to think critically and
creatively in a variety of ways takes precedence.
The College encourages students to learn broadly and deeply. Each student completes
a major in one of the College’s 80 programs or departments. The distributional
requirements described in this bulletin ensure that students learn about a variety of
subjects and intellectual approaches. In addition, the College requires that all students
take courses that develop certain foundational skills— writing, quantitative reasoning,
and language competency—that hold the key to opportunities in later study and later
life. In each skill, students are required to travel some further distance from where they
were in high school so that each competency matures and deepens.
Interesting and enlightening, thank you for a great article, we need more thought provoking articles like the one above
The education system plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of individuals and society. It provides structured learning environments that develop essential skills and knowledge, yet it often faces challenges like outdated curriculums, limited resources, and varying standards. There’s always room for improvement, especially in adapting to modern technological advancements. Who knows, perhaps the future holds more flexible and inclusive educational approaches that cater to diverse learning styles?
Hit the button quick maths, and you might just be calculating your way to success! The future of education could very well depend on how fast we adapt.
That’s a very poor take that exposes a lack of understanding of academia. Academia is meant to deepen theory around a subject matter. What you should be lobbying for is universities to replicate best practices by virtually all other developed world universities that are ranked higher than ours. Examples of this include:
1. Adjunct lecturers that come from industry. These are industry professionals contracted by unis to bridge the gap.
2. Foster and create partnerships with industry to do more applied research. Major companies like Unilever have research institutes at universities. For all the challenges we have, we don’t have a single Zimbabwean public or private enterprise that has an applied research centre at a uni. Which is why we get “innovation hubs” creating dishwashing liquid and hand sanitizers.