Staff Reporter
The 2025 school calendar officially begins today, with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education unveiling ambitious plans, including the recruitment of over 8,000 teachers and the continued construction of new schools. These initiatives are part of the government’s broader commitment to improving the education sector and aligning it with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030.
Speaking at a “Meet the Media” session in Harare, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr. Torerayi Moyo highlighted the ministry’s priorities. He announced that the adoption of the Heritage-Based curriculum would guide education from 2025 to 2030, focusing on imparting practical skills and values that leverage the country’s natural and cultural heritage.
“We are excited about the Heritage-Based curriculum, which is aligned with the President’s Vision 2030. We have submitted bids to recruit not less than 8,000 teachers this year, focusing on both expansion and attrition posts. Treasury concurrence will determine how many we can recruit per term,” said Dr. Moyo.
Zimbabwe’s education sector has faced a chronic shortage of schools, with a deficit of 3,000 reported in 2020. However, Dr. Moyo revealed significant progress, noting that the shortfall had been reduced to 2,600 schools.
“Last year, we built 104 schools in collaboration with our partners and completed over 300,000 classrooms in rural and urban areas. This progress is a testament to the support we’ve received from President Mnangagwa and the government’s commitment to Vision 2030,” he said.
The ministry received ZWL 46 billion in the 2025 national budget, the largest allocation of any ministry. The funds will cover operational costs, school construction, and the continued implementation of the Heritage-Based curriculum under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
Meanwhile, Harare’s central business district was bustling with activity as parents prepared their children for the new school term. Parents and guardians rushed to banks to pay fees, purchased last-minute school supplies, and accompanied their children to boarding school buses stationed at key pick-up points.
Uniform and stationery shops were packed with customers, while vendors on city pavements displayed essential school items for the back-to-school rush. The high demand for school-related goods and services injected life into the city’s economy, benefiting both formal businesses and informal traders.
Some school administrators conducted fee verification before allowing students to board buses, with many schools now accepting payments in multiple currencies to ease financial pressures on parents.
As the 2025 school year begins, the government’s efforts to enhance education infrastructure and staffing signal a strong commitment to nurturing a skilled and empowered generation in line with Zimbabwe’s developmental goals.
