Zimbabwe has launched a new education policy to improve the country's primary and ordinary school pass rates, Zimbabwean state media The Herald reported, citing the country's Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister, Angeline Gata.
"There is going to be a reduction in the number of dropouts at school as the policy will give the foundational literacy and numeracy base for the learners, hence the reason why President Mnangagwa saw it fit to approve its launch," she noted.
The policy encourages the use of the country's official local languages to help children develop "understanding and grasping of knowledge," Gata said.
"In this policy, we are not only focusing on reading and writing but inculcating our cultural ethos and values as people of Zimbabwe," Gata added, noting the importance of teaching in the mother tongue as it provides a solid foundation for learning.
Another key focus of the policy is to minimize the distance that early learners have to walk to school to a maximum of five kilometers, the deputy minister revealed, calling on development partners to support the government by building more schools.
The Zimbabwe School Examination Council reported a 4.35% increase in the overall pass rate of the 2023 Ordinary Level examination results compared to 2022, reaching 29.41%.