Prospects for Technical Education Contributing Towards the Development of Early Childhood Education/Development in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Early Childhood Education/Development (ECE/D) is an area that has continued to receive special attention since independence in Zimbabwe. Among other things, evidence of this includes a development way back in the early 1990s when the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) established links with Concordia University (CU) of Canada in an effort to promote the development of ECE/D in the country. This resulted in exchange programs where lecturers spent time at Concordia and vice-versa. Since then, several workshops have been held in Zimbabwe with special emphasis being concentrated on the nature of activities taking place in pre-school centres around the country. This has also had implications on curriculum development where there has been a strong drive to improve on the syllabus and other related materials. Methodologically, this paper developed from a document analysis of the handbook; ‘Curriculum for the Child – Early Childhood Education and Care Programme – Zimbabwe’ published by the Ministry of Community Development and Women’s Affairs in 1993 and revised in 1999. This is where, for the purposes of this paper, ‘Art and Craft’ were identified as areas deserving special attention.