Youths in Matabeleland South province are shunning enrolling for technical and vocational subjects, the Liaising on Psychomotor Activities in Education and Vocational Training State minister Josiah Hungwe was told during a tour of the Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic College in Gwanda on Wednesday. Albert Ncube Own Correspondent
Hungwe, who was on tour to ascertain the extent at which psychomotor skills are being incorporated into educational activities, blamed the education system introduced by the colonialists for the poor enrolment.
The college principal, Ngoni Moyo told the minister that a few students were taking up courses in technical subjects compared to those training to be teachers.
“We have a situation where we get 5 000 applicants for teacher training, but we can only enrol 500 of those. We have appealed to those who don’t make it to be teachers to enrol for technical subjects, but they are not forthcoming even if we tell them we will be accepting them without conducting interviews,” she said.
“Right now we have an enrolment of 200 students doing technical subjects, but we have the capacity to enrol as many as 500.”
Moyo urged the ministry to come up with ways to entice the youth to enrol for technical courses.
Hungwe said his ministry was working on integrating primary education and vocational training so that the country produces productive personnel.
He said the stigma associated with practical subjects is the reason behind the low enrolment.
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“The challenge is the legacy of the F1 and F2 education system introduced by the colonialists in the 1970s,” Hungwe said.
“Under the system, the F1 curriculum focused on academic subjects that would lead to white collar jobs while the F2 learners were channelled towards the study of practical subjects that would lead to blue collar jobs.
“The F2 route was, therefore, considered to be inferior.
“Practical subjects were thus stigmatised, hence, not well received after independence.” He said authorities should come up with plans to make the acquisition of practical skills attractive to the youth, if they are to become productive and competitive.
Hungwe’s ministry was established in September 2013 and tasked to liase with education ministries to speed up the inclusion of the psychomotor concept into education and training. Hungwe toured skills development projects at the college, which include animal husbandry, horticulture, carpentry and joinery, fashion designing and mechanical engineering.
Moyo said the college was recently granted an offer letter for 500ha of land, which will see the institution expanding in its agricultural activities.
She appealed for funds from the ministry to help set up infastrucure at the farm located just outside Gwanda town.
