Zimbabwe’s ‘Four-Pathway’ Schools Proposal for Technical and Vocational Skills Development: Implementation Challenges, Benefits and Prospects

The first Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training for Zimbabwe was instituted on 2 January 1998. The Commission reviewed completely Zimbabwe’s education system against the background of the demands of the Third Millennium and made several recommendations. One of those recommendations was the establishment of a ‘four-pathway’ senior school system designed to develop technical and vocational skills among Zimbabwean students that are usable in their future formal employment or informal self-employment. Regrettably, the new educational structure has not yet been fully implemented up to now. This paper makes a modest contribution to the on-going debate about challenges associated with renewed attempts to vocationalize secondary education in Zimbabwe. Through a critical analysis of related documents and interviews with key stakeholders, evidence is marshalled in support of the view that the innovative ‘four-pathway’ skills empowerment project, unlike Education With Production (EWP) of the 1980s, which failed to take off, is a product of a wide consultative process. Because of its commendably public approach, the innovation seems to enjoy a secure ground-base with the generality of Zimbabweans. However, chief among other factors is an apparent situation that exists in which some recalcitrant technocrats in the relevant ministries are prepared to scuttle what is arguably the best school system ever designed in the post-Independence Zimbabwe right at the shoals of its implementation. For, the proposed curricular change project has far-reaching implications for staffing in the affected ministries. At best, some of the key personnel may be redeployed, at worst retrenched. Hence, the sluggish structural reform of the current Zimbabwe education system. The project has massive potential to increase supply of skilled manpower and participation of Zimbabwean future citizenry in the economic development of the country. Such a noble experiment at curricular diversification, therefore, needs the full support of all Zimbabweans.