Zimbabwe schools to teach Ndebele, Shona and English

Zimbabwe schools to teach Ndebele, Shona and English

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN schools will soon be teaching the country's three main languages -- Shona, English and Ndebele -- under new reforms aimed at promoting tribal relations, an official said.

The three languages will be taught up to Form 2 to promote "communication and unity", according to Dr Stephen Mahere, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education.

Dr Mahere said other languages such as Tonga, Kalanga, Nambya, Shangaan, Sotho and Venda would be taught and examined up to Grade 7 level.

He was presenting the Secretary’s Merit Award -- given to schools that have consistent achievements of above average national examination pass rates -- to SOS Herman Gmeiner Primary School in Bulawayo.

The official said the reforms were contained in the Education Bill which was signed into law by President Robert Mugabe recently.

“The Act has made provision for Shona and Ndebele to be taught in all schools up to Form 2, on an equal time basis, thereby promoting communication and unity among all our people,” he was quoted as saying by the Chronicle newspaper.

“Local languages like Tonga, Kalanga, Namibia, Shangaan, Sotho and Venda will be taught and examined up to Grade seven level in areas where they are spoken as they are also important languages,” she said.

A large body of the Zimbabwean population cannot speak more than two languages.
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