CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU: The Zimbabwe Foundation for Education with Production (ZIMFEP) concept that was adopted by Nkululeko High School in Gweru has been hailed for producing entrepreneurs who are changing lives in society.
The adopted programme emphasises vocational training and the creation of entrepreneurs.
“We adopted a useless education system from the colonial regime. Now with education with production, our system has introduced production units for skills training. We produce our own furniture here at the school. Our students are helping us with cost-cutting measures. Our leaners are at the centre of these schemes. As they leave here, I am told most of them have formed consortiums where they are making an impact in society,”
The German partners pledged more support to ensure the fruition of the institution’s innovations,” said Nkululeko High School CEO, David Mangena.
“Nkululeko is an innovative school. Education with production was the idea. Let’s promote this noble initiative. If there is no one to do something you might have a problem. Each academic should have Education in production. Thus the future we all hope for. Despite the provision of financial resources, we also have educational benefits. The partnership is stronger because we have people from both sides who are willing to take it forward. Creating friendship is one of our core values,” added Project Coordinator, Heidi Hesse.
“I do not want to remind an audience such as this one, that education is central to the success of a whole range of other human endeavours. Our own reconstruction and development efforts including our success interaction in the global village, depend largely on the progress we make in educating our populations,” further added ZANU PF National Secretary for Education and Minister for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring implementation of Government Programmes, Dr Joram Gumbo.
The ZIMFEP programme, a departure from the colonial syllabus, prepares students to solve community challenges and dovetails with the government’s Education 5.0 Model.
Meanwhile, this year, the school also celebrates 40 years of a partnership with a German institution, Martin Niemoller, which has seen students from the school having exchange programmes with Germany-based schools, among other initiatives.
