The call for stakeholders to contribute to the review of Zimbabwe’s national curriculum has been criticised by parents and teachers calling for the scrapping of the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA). The curriculum, introduced by former Education Minister Lazarus Dokora in 2015, requires learners to undertake projects as part of the coursework required for examinations, leading to complaints of the exercises being onerous and burdensome. Citizens have also seen the opportunity to make money from undertaking CALA exercises on behalf of learners. Ahead of the review, which will be held on 23 and 24 May using every school as a consultation centre, parents argued the activities serve little purpose, while social media submissions questioned the rationale of parents and guardians completing tasks on behalf of their children. The exercises have also been criticised for focusing on theoretical rather than practical skills development.
