The statement comes amid criticism from Mafela Trust, a non-governmental organisation, that the recorded history of Zimbabwe is fragmented and incoherent.
“I have received many complaints that the history curriculum is biased and does not accurately record ZAPU and ZIPRA'S role in the liberation struggle. In the short term it is not easy to change the curriculum as textbooks need to be rewritten, and in the interim students need to pass history examinations to get their O and A levels,” said Coltart.
The call for a review of the curriculum is not new. Efforts have been made to change it since independence, with little effect or success.
“The ministry has committed itself to a comprehensive review of the entire curriculum, including history, and in terms of that process it will be necessary to draw in objective and professional academics to review and recommend changes to the History curriculum,” said Coltart.
The Secretary for Education in Zanu (PF), Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, said the change was long overdue, but the onus was on the writers to make a change.
“The change is long overdue. We should have done it ages ago, but the challenge is that the writers’ haven’t had enough time to sit and write the books with the new information,” said Ndlovu.
Dr Ndlovu agreed with Coltart that change was not going to happen overnight. He urged fellow revolutionaries to put pen to paper with information they have which will assist writers with the real facts of what happened in the past.
Historian and writer, Pathisa Nyathi, said that it was unfortunate that the ETF, which has been assisting primary schools with millions of books, recently launched phase two and did not manage to take into account the distortions.
Zephania Nkomo, the National Coordinator for Mafela Trust, said the exclusion of some of the events that ZPRA took part in was deliberate.
“The chronicles of ZAPU and its military wing ZPRA that have been distorted for selfish purposes will not find lasting space in the world of today,” said Nkomo. “The history school curriculum development is a matter that is overdue.”
Post published in: News