1(a) Discuss the main tenets of education 5.0
In 2017 the new Zimbabwean government through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education conducted a
National Skills Audit which revealed that although Zimbabwe boasts of over 95% literacy rate, the critical skills
availability is 38%. Yet with so much educated people and vast deposits of mineral resources there was a
mismatch in levels innovation and technological advancement to positively impact on the economy.. As a result
the nation realigned and reconfigured the education system by introducing the Education 5.0 curriculum. This
essay will discuss the major tenets of education 5.0 namely: teaching, research, community service, innovation
and industrialisation.
Definitions
Education 5.0 refers to the new approach to education by the Zimbabwean government that focuses on pillars of
research, teaching, community service, innovation and teaching (Mathende & Beach, 2021).
The tenets of education 5.0 are research, teaching, community service, innovation and industrialisation. These
encompass key principles that are relevant to education system in Zimbabwe. Research tenet through research
projects enables collaboration, adaptive learning, inquiry based learning and critical thinking. The teaching tenet
informed by research integrates technology to develop new teaching strategies which are learner centred,
interactive virtual classroom. Community service cultivates principles of patriotism, social responsibility and
participative citizenship. Innovation tenet cultivates creative problem solving and allows knowledge to be applied
to solve problems identified in the community through laboratory experiments and prototype. The tenet of
industrialisation produces the prototypes into finished products. The above described tenets will be explained in
detail in the following paragraphs:
The first tenet of education 5.0 is called research (Keche, 2021). Research refers a systematic process of
collecting and logically analyzing information in order to provide answers to questions and solve problems in a
systematic way (Mugenda, 2003). Education 5.0 aims to create an environment that encourages research in
education by promoting inquiry based learning, collaborative research, interdisciplinary research and research
skills development. Inquiry based learning teaches students to asks questions, challenge the status quo, gather
information, analyse and interpret data to arrive at balanced conclusions. Collaborative research prepares students
for real world collaborative work environments by fostering teamwork, exchange of ideas and communication .
Education 5.0 will inevitable produce students with sharpened research skills which are essential for academic
success and future careers requiring evidence based decision making. Traditionally, research has been considered
as the most important component of academic enquiry at universities. Education 5.0 still maintains that priority
but goes a step further in bringing research into teaching and learning instead of treating it as a separate
component. Research plays a significant role in enhancing the learning experience and driving educational
advancements. Education 5.0 requires every teacher to be a good researcher so as to transform learners into
industrialists and innovators rather than students who recites content without meaningful practical meaning.
The second tenet of education 5.0 is teaching and it includes the teaching and learning environment, teaching
content and methods, the teacher and the learner (Kangara et al., 2022). The desired teaching should be learner
centred by taking into account the different learning styles of individual students. The fact based lecture method is
being replaced by interactive teaching as educators are challenged to depart from traditional routine laboratory
experiments which confirm known outcomes to new experimental methods that inculcate an innovative,
entrepreneurial and industrialized mindset in learners. The teaching content is now focused on creating thinkers
who do not need to just memorize information. Under the previous education 3.0 system teaching pillar was
simply a shallow assessment view which rewarded learners for recalling, imitation, basic psycho-motor skills in
technical courses and language mastery. Teaching now focuses on producing higher order skills’ that such as
critical thinking, creative problem solving, teamwork and communication. The education pillar now includes
instilling values such as equity, fairness; ubuntu/unhu, diversity, transparency and accountability. The teaching
environment is now inclusive of all the different members of the society particularly minority groups, gender and
those with disabilities. Virtual classrooms are quickly replacing traditional physical classrooms.
The third tenet of education 5.0 is community service (Kangara et al., 2022). Community service fosters empathy,
active citizenship and social responsibility among students. Learners are encouraged to actively engage with their
communities to address societal challenges and make positive impacts. Gone are days that professors would only
brag by speaking confusing jargon and big words when they attend community gatherings without bringing any
meaningful contributions to their communities. Volunteering at local organisations, collaborating with community
members to address specific needs and organising fundraisers for charity are various ways in which students
practicalise community service. In the process students gain a deeper understanding of social issues, broaden their
perspectives and gain valuable life experiences. Learners are given projects that usually involves identifying
problems in the communities they come from and are required to offer solutions to such real life problems.
Community service gives students an opportunity to explore academic interests through a real world lense. If a
child is intrigued when he or she learns about recycling in school, for example, they can pick up recyclables from
local businesses and take them to a local recycling center to see the impact firsthand. For example, it is now a
common thing to meet learners picking litter on their way from school not because its National Cleanup campaign
day but as a habit they cherish.
The fourth tenet of education 5.0 is called innovation (Keche, 2021). Under this tenet the education systems aims
to foster an innovative culture in schools that encourages critical thinking , problem solving and creativity.
Innovation is the bridge between knowledge produced in lecture rooms, laboratories and industrial production.
Innovation is a process that involves product specific technical services, legal services and marketing services. It
encourages students to think outside the box, critic traditional ways of doing things, see what needs to be
improved and how best can that improvement be made a reality. In other ways innovation leads to students with
skills to develop solutions to complex problems.
The fifth tenet of education 5.0 is called industrialisation. In the context of education 5.0 industrialisation refers to
the integration of industry and technology into the education system to prepare students for the demands of a
highly industrialised and technologically advanced society (Kangara et al., 2022). This pillar focuses on preparing
students for the job market by equipping them with digital and technical skills required for current and future
industries. It involves the key aspects namely vocational training, emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM) and integration of technology into the learning environment. Vocational training equips
students with technical and trade skills and specialised training for specific careers. Emphasis on STEM subjects
provides a foundation student participation in industrial and technological advancement. Integrating of digital
tools, online resources and educational technologies in the learning process enables students to develop digital
literacy and adaptation skills. What starts as an idea in teaching, developed as a prototype and tested through
innovation is produced in the industries and factories. In other words ideas generated from research and teaching
is made into models by innovators in the innovation hub and certified prototypes are relayed to the industrial park,
where they are produced as finished goods ready for consumption.
In conclusion this essay discussed that Zimbabwean Ministry of higher and tertiary education reformed the
education system from education 3.0 to education 5.0. The five tenets of education s5.0 are research, teaching,
community service, innovation and industrialisation. A deep understanding of these tenets reveals principles of
education 5.0 such as personalised and adaptive learning, digital literacy and technology integration, problem
solving and critical thinking, collaboration and connectivity and lifelong learning.
(b) To what extent does education 5.0 lead to the realisation of socio economic development in Zimbabwe.
The achievement of Vision 2030, which entails the country becoming an upper middle income economy, will be
driven by how Zimbabweans will innovate their way to economic stability. Graduates from education 5.0 will be
able to carry out industrial research in various fields to ensure that there are ideas that can be processed towards
enhancing industrialisation. This way Zimbabwe can complete its industrialisation and modernisation ambitions.
This essay argues that to a larger extent education 5.0 will lead to the realisation of socio economic development
by delivering a competitive, industrialised and modernised Zimbabwe. Implementation of education 5.0 leads to
job creation, value addition and beneficiation, critical skills development, starting of new industries, patriotism
and participatory citizenship, charitable community which are all prerequisites for economic and social
prosperity.
Socio-economic development is defined as a process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a
nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and objectives
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_development).
Similarly socio-economic development refers to the development of the economic wealth of country for the wellbeing of their inhabitants and the transformation of social institutions in a manner that improves the capacity of
the society to fulfill its aspirations (https://www.jatinverma.org/meaning-of-socio-economic-development).
From the above definitions one can conclude that socioeconomic development is the general improvement in the
standard of living resulting from a healthy and self sustained economy. In the Zimbabwean context in particular
it refers to the attainment of Vision 2030, which is becoming an upper middle class economy.
Firstly education 5.0 will result is development of critical skills in various sectors of the economy. In essence the
new curriculum is a response to the critical skills audit which identified skills that were lacking. It is therefore
logical that vocational training, apprenticeships, internships and specialised training offered in education 5.0 will
result in the development of those critical skills relevant to the Zimbabwean economy (Mathende & Beach,
2021). The system has already started producing knowledgeable, relevant and quality graduates with enhanced
technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills among others for employment creation, self employment and
decent work. In other words education 5.0 will unlock the potential of the youths and students to full throttle
through skills training and development. A practical example is Chinhoyi University of Technology which
through education 5.0 has embarked on Industrial Cattle Pens and a milking parlour to improve knowledge on
artificial insemination and milk production.
Secondly education 5.0 will result in development of current and future patriotic leaders who will drive the nation
forward to economic development and create a charitable community. This is done through the community
service pillar which focuses on preparing and orienting learners for participation in voluntary service and
leadership(Muzira & Bondai, 2020). Education 5.0 motivates learners to cherish their Zimbabwean identity and
value their heritage, history and cultural traditions and prepares them for participatory citizenship. This is a shift
from the past when the country’s education sought to regurgitate Eurocentric views without coming up with
tailor-made solutions to Zimbabwe. Corruption, nepotism, selfishness and lack of patriotism are some of the
reasons why most nations are struggling economically and socially. Education 5.0 will cure all those social ills in
the Zimbabwean society hence creating a formidable army of economic actors that pull all their knowledge, skills,
and funds towards building the economy. The rich will be more ready to assist the poor with economic
opportunities and capital to start or expand their businesses. Similarly the newly created industries by absorbing
many unemployed persons, producing goods and services for export which bring in foreign currency for the
country will also helping to solve some societal deviant behaviors often associated with poverty and
unemployment such as, stealing, armed robberies and drug abuse.
Thirdly education 5.0 will inevitably lead to socio-economic development in Zimbabwe by eliminating the
disconnect between knowledge gained in Higher and Tertiary Education system and the local environment. In
other words heritage based education bridges the gap between the country’s market needs and the academic
knowledge provided at universities (Mathende & Beach, 2021). It also provides the social services and brings
innovational integration between the education sector and industries (Muzira & Bondai, 2020). This education
approach has transformed the traditional education system to learning based academic environment aligned with
the market needs through research oriented educational environment. The previous 3.0 philosophy concentrated
on exotic application domains which were divorced from the Zimbabwean context . Simply put education 5.0 has
tailor made education to produce graduates that can create industries in Zimbabwe, leading to economic growth.
For example the previous curriculum had bulk of history topics of European history which is largely irrelevant to
the Zimbabwean discourse. The heritage based curriculum was launched to cater the market developmental needs
and to remove the obsolete and outdated academic programs out of the curriculum.
Moving on education 5.0 will solve the high unemployment rate in Zimbabwe by inevitably leading to the
creation of jobs that today have no names through innovation and research. The new curriculum shifts from
preparing students for white collar and blue collar jobs to preparing them for job creation by using generated
knowledge for the creation of goods and services (Muzira & Bondai, 2020). Previously Zimbabwean universities
and colleges produced an influx of academically sharp graduates who needed to be employed and the job market
was flooded. Education 5.0 is aimed at cultivating students’ entrepreneurial skills for the development of
industries, creating new jobs, reducing unemployment. Recent tours at university and college stands at many
exhibition platforms such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) reveal that the exhibitions if funded
can result in graduates starting own businesses and creating employment. A practical example is Mutare teachers
college students who started yoghurt and drinking juice making business by using local baobab fruit. The factory
is flourishing and has created employment for dozens of local Manyika people. Hence, education 5.0 will prepare
graduate students for job creation and not to be jobseekers thereby easing the unemployment situation in the
country.
Most importantly education 5.0 will help the nation get the best out of its natural resources. The country is
endowed with natural resources that need to be exploited, and producing graduates with the ability to apply
scientific applications will result in the resources being easily tapped for the benefit of the economy (Muzira &
Bondai, 2020). As a developing nation the country usually gets little from exporting cheaper raw material in an
unprocessed state. The developed countries would then process the raw materials into finished goods and sell to
Zimbabwe at higher prices resulting in unfavorable balance of payments. This has relegated Zimbabwe to a lower
economy for long. However heritage based education enables Zimbabwe to get the maximum benefit from the
readily available agricultural, climatologically and mineral heritage for national development (Tirivangana,
2019). Through value addition and beneficiation minerals will be refined and polished locally, mineral ores
processed into metal and agricultural produce processed into tinned products which fetch more foreign currency
for the nation, leading to balance of payment surplus. This has been evidenced by Chinhoyi University of
Technology’s artificial insemination project launched as a way of implementing Education 5.0. Thus, more
foreign currency can be earned through exportation of the produced goods and services. This would also result in
job creation that would lead to lowering of unemployment rates. Education should help solve the existing societal
and national problems.
Furthermore education 5.0 will lead to infrastructural development in Zimbabwe (Muzira & Bondai, 2020). This
will result in morden state of art learning facilities, dining halls, sporting grounds and student accommodation.
The Government through the ministry of Education allowed for Public, Private Partnerships (PPPs) in
infrastructure development. PPPs are to be formed by engaging investors with the capacity to develop state of the
art infrastructure for Higher and Tertiary Education institutions. These are expected to form Build Operate and
Transfer (BOT), and Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangements with the institutions of Higher and
Tertiary Education. If fully realised education 5.0 will result in establishment of university towns and cities which
providing conducive learning and nurturing environment for the students. Foreign students will be enrolled in
local universities not only bringing the much needed foreign currency but also enabling exchange of ideas and
experiences from other nations. An example of a public private partnership build on built own operate
arrangements are the state of art student accommodation complex at National University of Science and
Technology in Bulawayo and the City Centre Campus for University of Zimbabwe in Masvingo. Such fruits at
the infancy of education 5.0 is testimonial to the greatly anticipated positive impact to infrastructural development
in Zimbabwe.
However education 5.0 may not bring the required socio economic development in Zimbabwe due to various
factors such as teachers not trained to handle the new programme, poor remuneration of educators, proper
infrastructures, lack of financial support etc. These will be explained in detail below:
Firstly the current stock of teachers, lecturers and educational administrators are products of education 3.0 and
need be trained in research based interactive methodologies. Most of them are used and familiar with the lecture
method which encourages rot learning. Because they haven’t been trained for the new curriculum their acceptance
rate is low. For example even professors in universities still take lectures as platforms to talk about their degrees,
family, time in the United Kingdom etc, all at the expense of learning. Academics need to be trained to improve
their research skills. Those with sharpened research skills also need coaching in interactive teaching methods to
bridge the gap between being a good researcher and a good teacher. Vice Chancellors should be reoriented to
abandon mass production strategies which are currently prevalent in almost all Universities in Zimbabwe and
focus on skills impartation to a manageable group so as to produce high quality graduates.
Secondly lack of adequate funding will reduce the potential of education 5.0 to deliver socioeconomic
development in Zimbabwe. The heritage based philosophy requires adequate financial resources and
infrastructure. This entails adequate basic salaries to teachers. Due the current economic challenges induced by
illegal sanctions by the West, the government is incapacitated to provide civil servants with adequate salaries. As
a result most educators no longer have motivation to give remedial work or give the best of their service as they
devote work time to side deals. Some teacher seriously teach students whom have paid money for extra lessons.
Educators should be given laptops, projectors and various interactive methodologies tools of trade rather than
expecting them to buy using their own funds because some lecturers may not afford. Equally in some schools,
colleges and universities students scramble for chairs, there are no adequate lecture rooms; no sockets, no wifi or
it is always malfunctioning.
Thirdly corruption and lack of strict supervision of the university and polytechnic programmes undermines the
aims of education 5.0 in economic transformation. Rich students and powerful politicians are on record for
literally buying diplomas and degrees. These do not have time to attend lessons but they get all their assignments
done for them by hired academic ‘bouncers’ and they also cheat or bribe to pass the final examination. The
education ministry should seriously consider investigating and scrapping off such academic malpractices.
In conclusion education 5.0 will result in Zimbabwe fulfilling its industrialisation and modernisation aspirations
leading to the attainment of Vision 2030. This essay discussed that to a larger extent implementation of education
5.0
alleviate the multi-faceted socio economic problems in Zimbabwe such as high unemployment, low
industries, untapped raw materials etc. Education 5.0 will lead to entrepreneurial skills for development of new
industries, creating new jobs, reducing unemployment, production of goods and services for economic growth and
exports which brings in foreign currency. However to fully realise socio economic development education 5.0
needs adequate funding and infrastructure, training of educators and strict supervision of the education system.
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