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Zimbabwe is a republic with an area of 390,759 sq. km. (150,873 sq. mls.) and a population, based on the year 2000 estimates, of approximately 11.5 million that consists of the following ethnic groups: Karanga, Zezuru, Manyika, Ndau, Korekore (known collectively as Shona, 71 percent) and Ndebele (16 percent), as well as white (1 percent), Asian and mixed (1 percent) and other (11 percent). In term…
In 1953, under the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, African education re-emerged as a sensitive issue. Godfrey Huggins' successor, Garfield Todd, was a strong supporter of African education and implemented several progressive policies for blacks before being ousted in 1958. However, the settler government that followed Todd did not abandon his progressive policies, using them as part o…
Compulsory Education: The 1979 Education Act, which has undergone various amendments, defines aims and objectives, structures, and types of school programs, as well as evaluation and assessment procedures and ongoing scheduling. Although the act originally abolished compulsory education, the government of Zimbabwe reinstated compulsory universal primary education for every school-age child. Howeve…
Generally, the children of well-to-do urbanites attend preschool between the ages of three and seven. Preschool education in rural areas is scarce and irregular, even though establishing preschool facilities has been part of the government's initiatives. While the local communities assume the major responsibility of operating preschools, the government's involvement entails training,…
Zimbabwe's secondary school system entails six years divided in three stages (2+2+2). Students earn the Zimbabwean Junior and Cambridge "O-" and "A-" level certificates at the end of each two-year study period and meet qualification standards for entry into the next level. The system of "bottlenecking" eliminates many students from entering the next…
Many students pursue tertiary education in teachers' training colleges and over 300 technical training institutions. Up until 1956, when the University College of Salisbury (University of Zimbabwe) was established, higher education was sought outside the country. As of 2001, there were 11 universities in the nation, both state-run and privately owned. Some former colleges have been transfor…
The Zimbabwean government plays a dominant role in shaping policy and administering and financing education, even though local district councils and voluntary organizations such as churches privately own the majority of schools. It assumes the primary responsibility for administering education through the Ministry of Education and Culture, which is in charge of primary and secondary education; and…
Nonformal education in Zimbabwe includes instruction provided outside of the regular educational schools and often includes correspondence courses, adult literacy campaigns, night school, and study groups. Residents who take advantage of nonformal education opportunities include those who are unable to access the formal educational system for various reasons. Generally the programs used are simila…
The largest sector of higher education is teacher education colleges, which are situated mostly in urban centers, much like technical colleges. The teacher education colleges offer instruction in numerous subjects, such as languages, arts, mathematics, social sciences, sciences, and commercial and other technical fields. While each college has a unique curriculum, there are certain areas where the…
Since Zimbabwe achieved independence, dramatic developments have taken place in all aspects of the country's education system. There were exponential enrollment figures at all levels, leading to the expansion of existing buildings, as well as the establishment of new elementary, secondary, and tertiary education institutions. The primary curricula became a mechanism by which important funct…
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