"If then a practical end must be assigned to a university course, I say it is that of training good members of society... it is the education which gives man a clear, conscious view of their own opinions and judgements, a truth in developing them, an eloquence in expressing them and a force in urging them. It teaches him to see things as they are, to go right to the point, to disentangle a skein of thought to detect what is sophistical and discard what is irrelevant"-
John Henry Newman, The idea of a University
Introduction
Education
lies at the heart of societal progress. Throughout history, as nations have
developed from medieval traditional societies to the industrialised nations
they are today, education has been instrumental in driving that development.
By
no means are the other stages of education (primary and secondary) inferior,
but this essay focuses on university education as key in ensuring growth and
development of our country. Universities are the training ground for our country`s
young as they get ready to face the unique challenges the world poses. It is in
this regard that tertiary education is of great consequence in the nation`s
continued development.
Like
most African countries, Zimbabwe too has a population demographic in which the
youth constitute a significant portion of the population. The 2012 National
Population Census Report shows that 41% of the population are under the age of
15, underlining the youthfulness of Zimbabwe`s population. As our young grow to
reach university going age, it is incumbent upon us to ask ourselves if we are
creating the right institutions for our country`s youth to be educated in and
be equipped to face the global world.
This
argumentative essay looks at the fundamental issues affecting tertiary
education and the possible ways of mitigating these challenges to ensure our
education system keeps up with International standards, and thus produces well
equipped students.
·
Access to University Education for all through
sufficient funding
University
education should be open to all people who can meet the requirements of
admission. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
notes that countries with high graduation rates at tertiary level are also
those most likely to be developing or maintain a highly skilled labour force. Russia
which at 53.5% has the highest proportion of its population with tertiary
education is also one of the most developed countries globally1.
This
obviously touches on funding which has been a major setback for thousands in
their quest to attain a university education. The government funded cadetship
programme has not been as effective in ensuring that those underprivileged
members of society who meet the grade are able to access university education
as it would have been intended. Government must view expenditure in the
country`s education sector with a long term bias; which means that rather than
seeing education expenditure as a cost, the government has to see education as
a long term investment. By availing funding to aid research, training,
development of school curricula and training of lecturers, the government
ensures that going forward; our universities produce fully trained and
qualified youths who can take up mantle of nation building.
Research conducted in India has shown that
India`s major success in the software industry in the last decade or so, is
largely due to the major investments made in technical education in the 1950s
and 60s2. Vital funding has to be released into Zimbabwe`s tertiary
education system as a matter of priority if students who graduate locally are
to be able to compete for jobs globally.
It
is no secret however that since the turn of the new millennium, our
government`s revenues have been constrained as generally, the Zimbabwean
economy has been underperforming. This is where private sector funding can play
a crucial role in financing university education. In Japan for instance, the
proportion of private spending on college/university education stood at 66.7%
of total education spending in 20133.Locally, corporates like
Econet, Delta and BAT have done commendably well in funding the education of
thousands of people and in so doing ensuring that access to university
education is availed to all. Concerted efforts must therefore be made to
encourage private sector players with the wherewithal, to fund university
studies in the country.
·
Reforms of outmoded curriculum
The
university school curriculum is also another issue of core importance that
needs to be looked at. Existing courses need to be reviewed, new courses
recommended and approved and the overall efficacy of courses needs to be
periodically re-evaluated to ensure the skills being taught, are aligned to the
requirements in industry. In 1999, the Nziramasanga Commission noted that,
“Zimbabwe`s curriculum was designed to train employees rather than
employers/entrepreneurs4.”
This
is something that is systemic. Schools continue to use a curriculum that was
last comprehensively reviewed in the 1980s, and this is something that needs to
be addressed on a broader level. As the world progresses, we cannot afford for
students who attend local universities to be disadvantaged as a result of them
acquiring outmoded skills because of an obsolete curriculum. Policy hence needs
to be directed at creating a level playing field between local students and
those who graduate from foreign institutions through embracing a modern and
progressive curriculum.
It
is prudent however to note that though the pace is far from satisfactory,
government has launched the Government Graduate Entrepreneurial and Employment
Promotion Programme to provide on-the-job entrepreneurial skills. The bottom
line however is, we must embrace change and appreciate that the world is
dynamic. Yes, we boast one of the highest literacy rates globally, but in the
next 10-15 years, this will not matter much if nothing is done to redress the
anomaly of an outdated school curriculum.
·
Extending and expanding the scope of learning
Closely
tied to the issue of curriculum is the need to adopt changes and move away from
“traditional” courses that are offered at local universities. The scope of
study needs to be broadened and courses currently being offered expanded. A quick
glance at school campuses would show that students majoring in Accounting,
Banking and Finance, Engineering represent the majority of graduates at most of
our tertiary institutions.
However,
we all cannot be Accountants, Bankers or Engineers, and it is time that this
issue is addressed. An educational system that is as rigid as ours will
inherently exclude some people from the system altogether. In addition, the
real talents people have may also be stifled. It tells our young that unless
you are good at Math and Accounting for instance, you will not make it in
society. What then becomes of the child gifted in Photography, Dance, and
Design etc? This speaks to the need for more liberal thinking in setting up the
scope of our studies. Granted, science subjects are important in creating a
progressive society of innovators. Today, China produces 8 times more science
graduates than America, and the results are there for everyone to see5.
China is now the 2nd largest economy in the world and is now a
bastion of technological innovation. If students are good in Math and Science,
they should be encouraged, and in the same manner opportunities must be availed
for those less inclined in sciences and other technical courses.
In
America, the arts and culture industry accounted for $504 billion in 2013 which
is approximately 3, 2% of America`s GDP6. This too can be Zimbabwe`s
future if we expand the tentacles of our education system. Subjects and courses
which for the longest time have not been considered middle-of-the-road and
subsequently have been shied away from need to be integrated into study. This
flexibility allows more of our youth to apply themselves in the varied spheres
of their expertise. Going forward, this bodes well for Zimbabwe as there will
be more active participants in a diversified economy.
·
Gender Balance and equality of representation
of students
Millennium
Development Goal number 3, aims to promote gender equality and empower women7.
Gender parity is essential and should be achieved in our lifetime. As our women
prosper, the society as a whole flourishes, as they are the backbone of our
nation. Equal opportunities for girls in institutions of higher learning should
thus be promoted in an effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
In
his 2011 report on Zimbabwe`s Human Rights record, Justice and Legal Affairs
minister, Patrick Chinamasa highlighted that female enrolment in Zimbabwe
Universities was nearing 40%8. Compared to the early 1990s when
enrolment figures where somewhere in the region of 25%, this is a welcome
development. However, much still needs to be done to break both the privileges
and the disqualifications brought about by gender and provide both sexes equal
opportunities for learning and personal development.
Early
marriages, negative parental attitudes towards female education, Sexual
harassment and abuse as well as lack of funding have been some of the factors
that have contributed to the high attrition rates of females in universities.
Bold steps need to be undertaken to address these critical issues curtailing
the advancement of women education. Gender parity is thus a necessary component
in ensuring the country`s continued growth.
Institutions
such as the Women`s University in Africa have contributed significantly in
ensuring that women previously marginalised and denied the opportunity for
higher education are afforded the chance to do so. The necessary financial,
technical and institutional frameworks from a policy and legislative
perspective must thus be put in place to this end.
·
Addressing the structural issues perpetuating
graduate unemployment
Africa has around 200 million youth, who
constitute a little over 20% of the continent`s population. A further analysis
shows that Africa`s youth contribute 37% of the continents total labour force,
yet paradoxically the youth make up about 60% of total unemployment in Africa8.
Producing over 5 million graduates annually, it is apparent that the numbers of
graduates being produced are not being adequately absorbed into the industries
for which they are receiving training for.
Looking at Zimbabwe, the trend is no
different. On average, Zimbabwe`s universities produce around ten thousand
graduates annually, and yet youth unemployment remains stubbornly high. A
university education is a long term investment and naturally, people would
expect to reap the rewards of their effort acquiring skills at institutions of
higher learning. This is not the case however, as employment after university
education is no longer guaranteed.
University students from the onset should be
made aware of this trend, and from the very first days of university, they
should be actively looking for ways to counter this negative trend. Innovation,
creativity, out-of-the box thinking should be encouraged on a broader societal
level to circumvent youth employment.
The problem of youth unemployment largely
remains structural in nature. The International Labour Organisation identifies four
factors to be at the heart of high youth unemployment in Africa as follows9:
As long as these structural bottlenecks
continue to exist, the problem of youth unemployment will be pervasive for the
foreseeable future. It is imperative therefore for policy makers, academics,
businesses and the student body as a whole to work together to address both the
demand-side and supply-side impediments to youth employment. We need to get our
youth to productively contribute to the nation`s development, and this can
never be achieved if they are idle.
·
Conclusion
Universities are places of light, liberty and
learning, and are thus critical in our national development agenda as they are
tasked with grooming our young, who are the future of our country. We can ill
afford to turn a blind eye to what happens to our national tertiary
institutions. Government must be more involved in creating an enabling
environment for the youths to thrive.
Parents should take an active role in the academic lives of their
children, and instead of complaining about irrelevant and outdated curricula,
businesses should be having synergies with universities whereby they give
internships to promising students, thereby equipping them with the necessary
skills and training that the businesses require.
Ultimately, it is the students themselves who
have it all to do. More often than not, evidence has suggested that the
political leaders tasked with managing universities are not as effective as
they ought to be. After all, their children are studying abroad, and are
subsequently disconnected to the real plight of local students (this however,
is deplorable on every front). Students need to look at the bigger picture and
see where they fit individually in our national system. They should make
themselves relevant!
Instead of being manipulated for political
gains, student unions need to work for the betterment of the student body as a
whole. They should exist to represent the students; the poor and the
marginalised and be advocates of positive change that builds our institutions.
If all the relevant stakeholders stand shoulder to shoulder, with feet firmly
planted on the ground, and eyes cast toward the future, then and only then can
we create institutions of higher learning that will serve future generations
and perform their function of enlightening and educating our youth in
preparation for leading the nation tomorrow.
NB: To request a PDF copy of this essay, email munzwembirip@gmail.com.
REFERENCES
1 Sauter
M, Frohlich T, ‘The most educated countries in the world’, Wall Street Journal, October 16 2013
2 Dastidar,
S, ‘Relationship between public education expenditures and economic growth: The
case of India’, Dundee University Discussion Papers In Economics-273, 2012
3
Kyodo, J, ‘Education Spending Lowest in OECD, Japan Times, 15 September 2011,
viewed 10 February 24, 2014, http//:www.japantimes.co.jp
4 Nziramasanga,
T, ‘The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Education and Training in
Zimbabwe report’ The Commission, 1999, p62
5 Wadhwa,
W, ‘China produces more engineering graduates than India, US: Study’ Duke
University Research Papers, 2007
6 U.S
Bureau of Economic Analysis & the National Endowment for the Arts,
‘Research puts a $500 Billion price tag on Arts & Culture’, December 2013
7 United
Nations Development Programme, ‘the Millennium Development Goals: Eight Goals
for 2015’ viewed 17 February 2014, http//:www.undp.org/mdg
8 OECD,
2011, ‘African Economic Outlook 2011: Africa and its emerging partner, OECD
Publishing.
9 ILO,
2011, ‘Global Employment Trends’ International Labour Organisation Working
Paper
World Bank, 2009, ‘Youth and Unemployment in
Africa: The Potential, The Problem, The Promise’, Washington DC.
Ngaruko, F, 2011, ‘enhancing capacity for
Youth Employment in Africa: Some Emerging Lessons’ Africa Capacity Development
Brief vol 2.
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