ZIMCHE EMBARKS ON DRIVE TO HARMONISE HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
NUST played host to the inaugural seminar on the Zimbabwe National Qualifications Framework (ZNQF), which is part of a series of seminars to be run by the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) across various clusters around the country. This is being done in an effort to harmonise higher education qualifications across the country’s tertiary education institutions.
Running under the theme, “Harmonising higher education” the seminar deliberated on issues of quality and standards in the realm of higher education as well as helping universities, polytechnics and teachers’ colleges understand the ZNQF and its role in their operations.
Speaking at the seminar, the Director for Registration and Accreditation, Dr. A. Tirivangana also highlighted on how the ZNQF policy will be implemented while citing its strategic players and monitoring mechanisms.
The ZNQF is a policy which seeks to align national qualifications with regional and international standards. The policy, which was launched in July 2018, facilitates the transfer of credits and free movement of students between Zimbabwean institutions and institutions outside the country. The goal of the seminar was to initiate the process of implementing the policy towards the transformation of Zimbabwe’s educational system.
Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Head of Curriculum Development and Research, Mr.Simon Mtisi stated that the ZNQF policy added Innovation and Industry to initial educational pillars which were teaching, research and community service. The new pillars were added to integrate education and training into a unified structure of recognised qualifications
He added that every qualification in Zimbabwe will go through this framework in order to be accredited as a certificate which adheres to the pillars of education.
ZIMCHE expects to put this framework in place and standardise all programs by August 2019 to ensure transparency and predictability in Zimbabwe’s educational system.