Government targets STEM-focused teachers’ training

GOVERNMENT has urged teacher training institutions across the country to take a cue from Morgenster Teachers College and roll out STEM-focused training programmes that feed into its Vision 2030.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development deputy minister Simelisizwe Sibanda made the call at Morgenster Teachers College’s 40th graduation ceremony on Thursday.  The institution is planning to launch its first STEM-focused teachers’ training programme next year in line with the government’s Vision 2030.

“We note with appreciation that in 2027, the college will begin offering a Diploma in Education for Secondary School Teachers specialising in STEM subjects, and this development shows the college is forward-looking and transformative,” said Sibanda.

Sibanda said the government’s roadmap to an upper-middle-income society, as encapsulated in its Vision 2030, will only be realised through institutions driven by innovation.

“We continue to encourage our institutions to move from producing graduates who consume knowledge to nurturing technopreneurs who generate goods, services, and solutions that benefit communities,” he added.

The college runs garment-making, agronomy and animal husbandry projects, which serve the community while equipping students with practical skills.

Addressing the graduands, Sibanda said modern teaching demands extend far beyond the classroom.

“Do not see yourselves merely as employees seeking salaries. See yourselves as agents of Vision 2030, custodians of heritage, and innovators producing solutions for your communities,” he said.

Morgenster, run by the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe, has trained more than 14,000 teachers since its inception in 1902.