HIGHER Education, Science and Technology Development deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa has said mathematics is not a prerequisite for every student to enrol at the country’s teacher training colleges.
BENSON DUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
Gandawa said student teachers could enrol at any college without mathematics for as long as they were not majoring in the subject.
“There is no policy that says student teachers are supposed to have maths as a prerequisite to enrol, especially at secondary school teacher training colleges,” he said.
“Primary school teacher training colleges enrol students without maths and give them a condition that during their study at college, they do what is called abridgement course in maths. People misinterpreted the condition and thought maths was a requirement.”
Gandawa said maths was necessary for primary school teachers as they teach many subjects at that level and should at least pass the subject through an abridgment programme offered at teacher training colleges.
He said for secondary schools teacher training colleges, maths not emphasised as one could be majoring in Ndebele or Shona unlike in primary schools where several subjects are taught.
“Maths is not emphasised at secondary teacher training colleges as there is some speciality on particular subjects whereas in primary, many subjects are involved that need to be taught by one person,” Gandawa said.
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There had been queries on the strict requirement of maths at ‘O’ Level as a prerequisite for enrolment into the country’s teacher training colleges.
Veteran educationist Sydney Dlodlo said barring people without maths from training as teachers was no different from the colonial era where disabled people were not admitted at schools.
He said there were people who would not pass maths under whatever circumstances and it did not make sense to have the subject compulsory as it denied those gifted in practical and arts subjects opportunities to impart their knowledge and skills to others.
“When you say people without maths must not train as teachers, it is like in the colonial era where the disabled were not allowed to attend school. There are people who will not pass some subjects even if they were to sit several times.
During (Ian) Smith’s era, school was important for everybody and people were graded according to their calibres.
“Some people were regarded as extra intelligent and were sent to do sciences so that they could become doctors and some were sent to do practicals so that they became artisans,” Dlodlo added .
