In news last week, Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) issued a statement of the suspension of the Media and Society Studies degree at the Midlands State University (MSU). However, Fanuel Tagwira has dismissed the news and urged students and lecturers not to panic.
Fanuel Tagwira is the Higher and Tertiary Education permanent secretary. In recent news, ZIMCHE suspended the degree programme as part of the implementation of its Minimum Bodies of Knowledge and Skills (MBK/s).
Following the news, students and lecturers have aired out their concerns on the continuity of their education. In an interview with The Herald, Tagwira tried to allay the affected students and lecturers’ fears, saying the government is working on a solution. He said:
“There is no need to panic for the affected learners and lecturers, Government is fully aware of your plight and is working on modalities to come up with a solution. I’m travelling to Gweru to meet MSU vice Chancellor Professor Muzvidziwa tomorrow (today) to deliberate on the issues.”
Lecturers and students have asked the government to issue a comprehensive statement of the way forward. Students are failing to accept that some programmes at universities will be changed or scrapped.
Last year, the government indicated that at least 20 programmes at various universities would be scrapped since they were producing graduates who do not have innovative skills. As a result, ZIMCHE has come up with the MBK/s that prescribes the basic knowledge and skills that a graduate should possess when they study towards a degree.
