Zvishavane, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe’s education system must do more to align with the country’s economic opportunities, including sectors such as mining, agriculture and wildlife management, education leader Mrs. Ashell Ruswa has said.
Addressing stakeholders at the Schools and Innovation Fair, Ruswa called for a curriculum that reflects both global trends and local realities.
“We cannot afford to ignore the industries that sustain our economy,” she said. “Our children must understand mining, value addition, and even sectors like hunting.”
Zimbabwe, rich in mineral resources such as lithium and gold, continues to grapple with limited local beneficiation — a gap Ruswa attributed partly to a lack of knowledge and skills.
“We cannot have a situation where we use lithium stones as decoration because we do not understand their value,” she said.
She argued that introducing mining education at an early stage would help develop a generation capable of maximizing the country’s natural resources while ensuring environmental sustainability.
Similarly, Ruswa highlighted the economic potential of wildlife and hunting, sectors often dominated by foreign operators.
“These industries generate significant revenue,” she said. “But our people are not fully participating because we lack the necessary skills and knowledge.”
Beyond extraction, she emphasized the importance of value addition — from processing animal skins into leather to developing downstream industries linked to natural resources.
“Today, much of this potential is wasted,” she said. “We must equip our children with the skills to turn resources into economic value.”
Her remarks come as Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to promote industrialization and local participation in key sectors of the economy.
The Schools and Innovation Fair, held at Gresham Primary School Grounds, brought together government officials, educators, mining companies and financial institutions — reflecting a growing push to connect education with industry.
For Ruswa, the goal is clear: to produce not just job seekers, but job creators.
“When our children leave school, they must be able to compete globally,” she said. “But more importantly, they must be able to build Zimbabwe.”
