In an effort to address the shortage of Engineers for technological development, government has reiterated its call for institutions of higher learning to be biased towards the promotion of Science and Technology courses in order to meet the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) demands.
The remarks were made by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo while officiating a graduation ceremony at Harare Polytechnic College.
Prof Moyo called on all polytechnics to urgently transform and conform to the demands of the STEM initiatives and upgrade their institutions to offer degrees.
Professor Moyo said it is gratifying to note that the quality of education has remained competitive and sought after by industries locally, regionally and internationally.
He however said more needs to be done by polytechnics in order to push towards promoting STEM for the development of the country.
“We have 12 753 students enrolled in the engineering faculties in our eight polytechnics countrywide, and only 259 of these are doing Higher National Diplomas.
“This is a far cry from where we want to be if we want to develop as a country and catch up with other technologically advanced nations.
“I call upon all institutions to have a strong bias towards promoting our STEM initiative by enrolling more engineering students,” Professor Moyo said.
Minister Moyo said the current situation where other courses constitute more than 50 percent of courses offered compared to STEM biased subjects needs to be changed in line with the new economic thrust of Zimbabwe.
He added that the current enrolment program has more than 20% deficit of engineering students
Speaking at the same function, Harare Polytechnic Principal, Engineer Tafadzwa Mudondo said the Harare Polytechnic seeks to transform its infrastructure to meet its goal of being a technological training center of excellence.
“The institutional leadership has to refocus, redirect, remold, redeploy and develop the much needed impetus to address and respond to our key mandate of producing properly grounded and stematised graduates starting in 2017 as per the Ministry and government’s mandate,” Engineer Mudondo said.
More than 2 600 students graduated with different honors in mass communication, engineering, applied sciences and other courses.
The Harare Polytechnic is the largest such institution in the country and was established in 1919.
Cde Humba / August 22, 2016
STEM education is strongly recommended but only Harare Institute of Technology,CUT,NUST is offering STEM Degrees at tertiary level.Are there any plans to introduce STEM Degrees in other major towns like Masvingo,Gweru,Mutare etc.? I have written to Hon.Prof J.Moyo about this & got no response.It will be great for STEM Degree to be accessible to those who wish to study them despite of the physical location across Zimbabwe…at least if major town can provide facilities to do these STEM Degree eg STEM OR ENGINEERING centres can be established at MSU-Gweru,GZU-Masvingo or any gvt edu. centre in Mutare.
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