Story by Tichaona KurewaHWANGE
College of Education is set to broaden its curriculum with plans to introduce Chinese language (Mandarin), while reinforcing its specialised focus on indigenous and regional languages.The institution says the move is in response to growing community needs and increasing economic ties between Hwange and Chinese investors operating in the district.
Principal Mr Royal Ntini said the college will conduct a community needs assessment to determine which additional languages should be prioritised.“We may even consider teaching Chinese for proficiency. I am sure it is going to help the community. Most of our people here are employed by Chinese companies and there is a communication gap.
I know one or two colleges that are already teaching Chinese. I think we are at an advantage here, but suffice it to say that our niche is indigenous languages,” he said.“It is really our niche to specialise in indigenous languages. We will probably take a community needs assessment, then prioritise which one should come first and so on. But definitely, we will increase the other languages so that at the end of the day we are able to teach those languages.”Hwange, a multi-ethnic community with significant mining and industrial activity, has experienced increased investment from Chinese companies, creating demand for improved communication between locals and foreign nationals.
The development has been welcomed by the Greater Hwange Residents Trust.“We welcome the move by the government to introduce the teaching of minority languages and Chinese at Hwange Teachers College, as Hwange is a multi-ethnic community. It will also improve communication between Chinese nationals who have massive investments in Hwange and the local community. It will open opportunities for the community to be interpreters and teachers in Zimbabwe and beyond, in countries such as Zambia and Malawi,” said the Trust’s coordinator, Mr Fidelis Chima.Established in 2019, Hwange College of Education was set up to address long-standing gaps in teacher training in Matabeleland North, which previously had no teachers’ college.
The college currently specialises in indigenous languages such as Tonga and Nambya, while other languages spoken in Hwange include Chewa, IsiDombe and Lozi.To date, the institution has trained more than 300 primary school teachers, with nearly three-quarters fluent in indigenous languages, a significant boost for language inclusion and culturally responsive education in the district and beyond.
