Curriculum implementation in early childhood development : a case of Harare primary schools in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study investigated the paradigm shift in the recently updated Early Childhood Development (ECD) Curriculum in Zimbabwean primary schools brought about by the Education Act 25:04, as amended in 2006. The curriculum was created not only as a solution to problems with the ECD system in the country, but also as an ideological organ that would improve the lives of indigenous people. The study answered the fundamental question: How applicable is the implementation of the updated ECD curriculum in Zimbabwean primary schools? Teachers acknowledged the need for change and embraced the new curriculum. They concurred that the updated ECD curriculum was relevant provided the necessary resources were availed. The overarching problem was the gap between teachers’ skills and, knowledge, along with the subject content, materials and effective implementation of the updated curriculum. Inadequate teachers’ transformational training on the demands of the updated ECD curriculum was the missing element in the implementation process. Qualitative research on pragmatism was used in the study. Triangulation of data included interviews, observations and document analysis. NVivo software was used to describe, analyse and discuss the data. The research was administered to a purposefully selected sample of four primary school heads/TICs, eight ECD teachers and two district schools inspectors (DSIs), in the Epworth, Mabvuku and Tafara (EPMAFARA) district schools in the Harare metropolitan province. The findings indicate that teachers mainly attribute the outcomes of curriculum implementation to lack of resources, training and supervision. ECD teachers lacked the appropriate knowledge required to effectively teach the new subjects. The “three-day” training workshops failed to empower them with sufficient skills and knowledge. The teachers were demotivated due to the lack of resources, infrastructure, double sessions or hot-sitting, congested timetables, high workloads and large teacher-pupil ratios. The children’s activities were hampered by the limited classroom space. The majority of teachers regularly used the lecture method at the expense of child-centred methods. Schools have conventional classroom layouts and most of them did not meet the recommended specifications for ECD. Teachers use scheme-cum plans (schemes of work) which do not provide for additional teaching inputs. This limits their innovation and creativity. The study proffered a strategic model to resolve curriculum implementation inadequacies and direct future policy formulation.

Lolu cwaningo lwaphenya uguquko-kucabanga olunohlonze oHlelweni Lwezifundo (iKharikhulamu) Lokuthuthukiswa Kwezingane Zisencane (ECD), lwakamuva olubuyekeziwe, ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi zaseZimbabwe, okuwuguquko olulethwe nguMthetho Wezemfundo 25:04, njengoba uchitshiyeliwe ngowezi-2006. Ikharikhulamu ayakhelwanga nje kuphela ukuba yisixazululo ezinkingeni ezikhona ohlelweni lwe-ECD ezweni, kodwa futhi iwuhlaka lobuqhinga oluzokwenza ngcono izimpilo zabantu bomdabu. Ucwaningo lwaphendula umbuzo osemqoka: Ngabe kuyinto engenzeka ngempumelelo yini ukuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu ye-ECD ebuyekeziwe ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi zaseZimbabwe? Othisha basivuma futhi basibona isidingo soguquko futhi bayamukela ngezandla ezimhlophe ikharikhulamu entsha. Bavumelana nombono othi ikharikhulamu ye-ECD ebuyekeziwe ifanelekile futhi iyazihlinzekela izinsiza ezidingekayo. Umbuzo osemqoka kakhulu futhi obandakanya konke kwabe kuyigebe phakathi kwamakhono nolwazi lothisha ngokunjalo futhi nolwazi oluqukethwe ezifundweni kanye nokuqaliswa ngendlela efanele kwekharikhulamu ebuyekeziwe. Ukuqeqeshwa okuphathelene noguquko okunganele neze ezidingweni zekharikhulamu ye-ECD ebuyekeziwe kwabe kuyinto okuyiyona eshodayo neyisithiyo kwinqubo yokuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu. Indlela-kucwaninga eyasetshenziswa kulolu cwaningo yindlela yocwaningo olukhwalithethivu olugxile ekwenzeni izinto ngendlela enengqondo nephathekayo futhi ebonakalayo. Ukuqoqwa kwemininingo kwabandakanya imithombo ehlukahlukene kufaka phakathi ukubanjwa kwezingxoxo nababambiqhaza bocwaningo, ukubukelwa kwalokho okwenziwa ngababambiqhaza kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo. Kwasetshenziswa i-NVivo software ukuchaza, ukuhlaziya kanye nokwenaba mayelana nemininingo. Ucwaningo lwenziwa phakathi kwababambiqhaza ababekhethwe ngenhloso, okungothishanhloko bezikole zamabanga aphansi/TICs abane, othisha be-ECD abayisishiyagalombili kanye nabahloli bezikole besifunda (DSIs) ababili, ezifundeni i-Epworth, Mabvuku kanye ne-Tafara (EPMAFARA), ezisesifundazweni-dolobha i-Harare. Imiphumela eyatholakala ocwaningweni ibonisa ukuthi othisha banombono wokuthi imiphumela yokuqaliswa kwekharikhulamu incike ikakhulukazi ekuntulekeni kwezinsiza, ukuqeqeshwa kanye nokuqapha nokuhlola ngendlela efanele. Othisha be-ECD babengenalo ulwazi olufanelekile oludingekayo ekufundiseni izifundo ezintsha ngendlela efanele. Izigcawu zokuqeqeshwa ezathatha “’izinsuku ezintathu” zahluleka ukubacija nokubahlomisa ngamakhono kanye nolwazi. Othisha babengenalo neze ugqozi nofuqufuqu ngenxa yokuntuleka kwezinsiza, ingqalasizinda, izigcawu-mbili noma ukuhlatshwa kombambiqhaza ngemibuzo ngamalungu wonke eqembu, izinhlelo-sikhathi (timetables) eziminyene, umsebenzi omningi kakhulu kanye nesilinganisonani esikhulu sabafundi abangaphansi kwesandla sikathisha oyedwa. Imisebenzi yezingane yabe iphazamiseka ngenxa yamagumbi okufundela amancane. Iningi lothisha livamise ukusebenzisa indlela-kufundisa lapho uthisha kuwuyena kuphela oqekethayo ekilasini edlulisela ulwazi kubafundi, okuholela ekutheni zibukeleke phansi futhi zinganakwa ngendlela efanele negculisayo izindlela-kufundisa ezigxile kubafundi. Izikole zinesimo-sakhiwo samakilasi sakudala esingahlangabezani neze nesimo-sakhiwo esinconyelwe ukusetshenziswa kuma-ECD. Othisha basebenzisa izinhlelo-sikimu (izikimu zomsebenzi), ezingahlinzekeli izindlela nezinsiza ezengeziwe zokufezekisa izinjongo zokufundisa. Lokhu kunciphisa amandla nekhono labo lokuqamba, ukusungula nokusebenzisa ngobuhlakani izinsiza ezintsha. Ucwaningo lwahlinzeka ngemodeli yamaqhinga engasetshenziswa ukuxazulula ubuthakathaka obukhona ekuqalisweni kokusebenza kwekharikhulamu, futhi iqondise nokwakhiwa kwezinqubomgomo esikhathini esizayo.

Ngudo heyi yo todisisa tshanduko ya ndeme ya ndila ya u sedza kha tshithu kha Kharikhulamu ya Mveledziso ya Ndelazwixele (ECD) ire tshifhingani zwikoloni zwa phuraimari zwa Zimbabwe, zwo bveledzwa nga Mulayo wa Pfunzo wa 25:04, sa wo khwiniswaho nga 2006. Kharikhulamu yo bveledziswa hu si thasululo fhedzi ya thaidzo ya sisiteme ya ECD kha shango, fhedzi sa tshipida tsha muhumbulo une wa nga khwinisa matshilo a vhongwaniwapo. Thodisiso yo fhindula mbudziso ya ndeme: Zwi konadzea hani u shumisa kharikhuḽamu ya ECD ire tshifhingani zwikoloni zwa phuraimari zwa Zimbabwe? Vhadededzi vho dzhiela ntha thodea ya tshanduko na u tanganedza kharikhulamu ntswa. Vho tendelana uri kharikhulamu ire tshifhingani ya ECD yo vha yo tea na u ita mbetshelo dza zwishumiswa zwo teaho. Thaidzo khulwane ho vha tshikhala vhukati ha zwikili na ndivho zwa vhadededzi na zwi re ngomu ha thero, matheriala na u shumiswa lwo teaho ha kharikhulamu yo khwiniswaho. Thahelelo ya vhugudisi ha tshanduko kha vhadededzi kha thodea dza u vha tshifhingani ha kharikhulamu ya ECD ho vha thahelelo ya elementhe ya kuitele kwa u shumisa. Kha u vha khagala ho shumiswa kuitele kwa thodisiso kwa khwalithathivi kha ngudo. Ngona dzo fhambanaho dza u kuvhanganya data hu katelwa inthaviwu, u sedza na u saukanya linwalo. Ho shumiswa sofuthiwee ya NVivo u talusa, u saukanya na u rera nga ha data. Thodisiso yo langulwa hu na zwo sedzwaho khazwo kha tsumbonanguludzwa dza thoho dza zwikolo zwa phuraimari vhana/ /dziTIC, na vhadededzi vha malo vha ECD na vhaingameli vha vha tshikolo vhavhili vha tshitiriki (dzi DSI), ngei zwitirikini zwa Epworth, Mabvuku na Tafara (EPMAFARA), vunduni la masipala muhulwane wa Harare. Mawanwa o sumbedza uri vhadededzi vha humbula zwihulwane uri mvelelo dza u shumiswa ha kharikhulamu kha thahelelo ya zwishumiswa, vhugudisi na u tola. Vhadededzi vha ECD a vha na ndivho ya yo teaho ine ya todea kha u funza lwo teaho thero ntswa. Wekishopho dza vhugudisi ha “maduvha mararu” dzo kundelwa u vha maandafhadza nga ndivho na zwikili zwo teaho. Vhadededzi a vha tshe na thuthuwedzo, nga nthani ha thahelelo ya zwishumiswa, themamveledziso, sesheni mbili kana u vha khakhathini nga u vhudziswa mbudziso dzine dza konda, tsumbatshifhinga yo tsitsikanaho, mishumo minzhi na reshio khulwane ya mudededzi- mugudiswa. Mishumo ya vhana yo vha i tshi thithiswa nga tshikhala tsho pimiwaho tsha kilasini. Vhunzhi ha vhadededzi tshifhinga tshinzhi vho vha vha tshi shumisa ngona ya lekitshara, nga ndila ine ya sa vhe ya vhudi ya ngona ine ya sa vhe ya vhudi yo disendekaho nga nwana. Zwikolo zwi na kilasirumuni dzine ha thetsheleswa mudededzi fhedzi hu sina nyito vhunzhi havho a vha swikeli themendelo dzo tiwaho dza ECD. Vhadededzi vha shumisa pulane ya tshikimu tsha mishumo, ine ya sa netshedze minwe mihumbulo ya nyengedzedzo ya u funza. Hezwi zwi pima vhubveledzi na vhusiki havho. Ngudo yo netshedza tshiedziswa tsha tshitirathedzhi u tandulula thahelelo ya u sa shumiswa ha kharikhulamu na u livhisa kha u bveledzwa ha mbekanyamaitele ya tshifhingani tshidaho.