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Abigail Mawonde Herald Correspondent
All Zimbabwe Open University graduates who were affected by the suspension of the Diploma in (Primary) Education are now employed after the ban was lifted last month, ZOU Vice Chancellor Professor Primrose Kurasha said yesterday.

Government banned the diploma in 2011 after the Civil Service Commission refused to recognise the qualification as valid for employment.

The diploma also failed to meet the requirements of the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE).

ZIMCHE is a Government quality assurance agency responsible for registering and accrediting institutions of higher learning. Several teachers who had attained the diploma were left jobless.

Some sought employment as temporary teachers using their “O” and A-level results.

In an interview, Professor Kurasha said: “The university is happy that all the 38 affected graduates are now employed and we are also very happy and grateful to the Government for confirming its confidence in what the university is doing.”

She said the suspension negatively impacted on enrolment at the university and its plan to supply the nation with qualified teachers for primary school education.

Professor Kurasha said adjustments were made to the diploma to meet requirements of ZIMCHE.

Enrolment for the diploma is underway countrywide. She said ZOU’s programmes were supportive of the Zim-aSSET as they allow people to remain productive as they learn.

“ZOU values the need to provide quality service in higher and tertiary education and remains committed to offer quality service to help fulfil the objectives of national programmes for development like ZIMASSET through the production of effective and efficient human capital,” she said.

ZOU started as the Centre for Distance Education under the University of Zimbabwe in 1993 before it became a fully-fledged university.