Towards Analysis of the Status of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education in Zimbabwe Secondary Schools: Access, Quality, Policy

Abstract

The present quantitative study surveyed the status and uptake of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among secondary school students in Zimbabwe. Statistical data for the research was gathered through desk study complemented by physical observational visits at selected schools in all provinces. The study revealed that the uptake of STEM subjects among students was very low as compared to other disciplines in the curriculum such as the arts, humanities and commercial subjects, in comparison with the gross enrolment. This has been the case at both ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels. There is also a noticeable decline in enrolment statistics in STEM related subjects as the level of education increases. Within the sciences, at ‘O’ level, integrated science has high number of entries whilst pure science subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics and computer science registered very few entries. However, even though the enrolment figures are very low in STEM subjects, the pass rates within these subjects have been quite high. There has been also a steady increase in the number of female students taking up science subjects, though the numbers are still on the low side in comparison to their male counterparts. The population with STEM education in Zimbabwe stands at 0.03%. This is besides that the country needs STEM skilled personnel for the implementation of value addition, beneficiation, industrialization and economic development efforts. The MoPSE’s curriculum review and the MHTESTD’s ‘A’ Level STEM initiative though they have been implemented from different political and curriculum view-points, they  support the increment of students taking up STEM foundation subjects to realise scientifically and technologically literate society and address the development needs of Zimbabwe.