In Zimbabwe, the VVOB supported programme on Quality Education and Vulnerability is implemented by a number of departments in the 14 ‘teacher education colleges’ of Zimbabwe. It will not come as a surprise that ‘teacher training’ lies at the core of the programme.
Through Teacher Training our partners at the colleges organise activities with a wide range of educators and educators-to-be:
- Student teachers are targeted through a number of student development activities in the programme, many of which focus on building life skills. 2010 saw over 7000 students taking part in such activities in the programme organised by their colleges.
- To get an idea of what colleges are doing to reach out to in-service teachers and school heads, we invite you to read Shiella’s story of her experience as a teacher (see testimony).
- Lecturers at the teacher education colleges take part in various staff development activities.
Allow us to focus on this last group, the lecturers. In 2010, about 950 lecturers were involved in staff development activities organised by their own colleges on a range of educational themes and areas. Take a look at the overview below.
Mqaphelisi Sibanda
Assistant Programme Manager, VVOB Zimbabwe
Hanne Huysmans
Programme Manager, VVOB Zimbabwe
Training activities for lecturers in Zimbabwe in 2010
Early childhood development
- Numbers: three colleges organised workshops for a total of 205 lecturers.
- Focus: to bring more clarity on:
- the importance of early childhood development;
- what is involved in the training of an ECD teacher;
- and which issues to look out for when supervising the student when he or she is doing her teaching practice.
In interacting with the wider lecturing body at college, the ECD departments hope to improve the quality of their students’ supervision, and the quality of early childhood education as a whole - whilst at the same time reducing the vulnerability of their students.
Basic Counselling Skills
- Numbers: five colleges organised workshops for a total of 345 lecturers.
- Focus: providing lecturers with basic counselling skills that can enable them to help student teachers who have social and educational problems.
With these basic skills and attitudes, the lecturers will have attention for the more vulnerable students in their colleges. This will result in promoting Student Friendly College Environments through caring lecturers who in turn become role models for the students to emulate when they later become teachers.
Special Educational Needs
- Numbers: two colleges organised training for a total of 90 lecturers.
- Focus: on learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia.
The workshops help lecturers to work with students with learning difficulties. At the same time, they help them to prepare their student teachers to offer adjusted support to pupils with learning difficulties.
Environmental Education
- Numbers: four colleges organised training workshops for a total of 160 lecturers.
- Focus: creating awareness on environmental issues, and how they link to vulnerability.
An action-based approach ensured that the workshops resulted in concrete plans for environmental activities at the college. There is a clear link to teaching and learning by student teachers.
