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Patrick Chitumba

Midlands Bureau Chief

SCHOOLS need to remodel their curricula to include commercial subjects that will help them in meeting some of their financial needs while preparing learners for life after school.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema made the call when he was launching the state of preparedness for reopening of schools in Gweru.

He commended schools for being innovative stressing that the time for educational institutions to rely on government grants for development should be a thing of the past.

“It’s about time we start proper planning for our future. Each school must go commercial. We need to come up with quality products that can be accepted by the market. There should be no compromise on this. I’m happy that the Midlands Province can now produce enough PPEs from its schools. My vision is to see schools contributing to the national gross domestic product (GDP),” he said.

Minister Mathema said gone were the days when schools solely depended on Government for funds to run.

He said most schools had enough land, which should be used for revenue generating ventures to benefit the schools and the communities at large.

Ambassador Mathema said once schools went commercial, they would also employ locals and start contributing to the national GDP.

“Our schools have the land and it is unfortunate that most of them are not using it. It is just lying idle when there is great potential to make money from farming projects like poultry. We need a paradigm shift because my ministry can’t be always running to Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube for funds to run schools,” said Minister Mathema.

He said the new education curriculum was aimed at producing a learner who can be an entrepreneur unlike the old system, which was churning out job seekers.

“Schools must start making money and show the pupils how to make money. They must start making money while in school and when they leave, they become entrepreneurs. We have few schools now producing sanitary pads, which is commendable because there is no sense in having Fashion and Fabrics when we fail to produce our own school uniforms. Kutama High School is producing sanitary pads and in so doing can employ locals and we can go as far as importing,” said Minister Mathema.