The government has spent $3 million on training teachers who will teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in schools.
This was revealed by the Minister for Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira.
Murwira said the number of STEM teachers was inadequate since only 856 were being produced annually by Belvedere Technical Teachers’ College, Mutare Teachers’ College, Hillside Teachers’ College and universities. Said Murwira:
We found out that this number would not be adequate to meet this and satisfy this, so we started on a programme to train Science and Mathematics teachers and these are colleges that previously were not training secondary school teachers — which are Mkoba, Masvingo Teachers’ College and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic.
If we desire industry from our education system, therefore we should give the universities that mandate which we have done.
Because of the above intervention, by 2022, the total number of Science teachers will be 3 003 and Mathematics teachers will be 792 in addition to the total number of 1 660 from the three secondary teachers’ colleges.
The total projected number of Science and Mathematics teachers by 2023 would then be 5 455.
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