Early Childhood Development Department

A department in the Teacher Education Division

Introduction & History

This programme a full–time study and undertaken in three years following the 3-3-3 cycle, where students do an initial three terms on campus, three terms of Teaching Practice, and a final three terms on campus.

Entry Requirements:

This programmes requires one to have five (5) ‘O’ Level passes which include English and Mathematics as mandatory subjects.

Curriculum on Offer:

For the Diploma in Early Childhood Development, Diploma in Education – Primary and Diploma in Education (Secondary) – Sciences programmes, student teachers follow the curriculum outlined below:

Section One (Teaching Practice)

All student teachers on the three programmes undergo a one-year (three-term) teaching practice stint in schools. The teaching practice model is dovetailed to provide collaborative mentorship by both lecturers and qualified mentors to whom student teachers are attached.

Section Two - Theory of Education

All student teachers on the three programmes are exposed to a wide range of theoretical foundations in the following core areas:

Philosophy of Education
Psychology of Education
Education Management
Curriculum
Sociology of Education

Section Three - Main Subject

1. Diploma in Early Childhood Development and Diploma in Education – Primary student teachers are required to select one main subject for specialisation from the following::

Art and Design
IsiNdebele
Physical Education and Sport
Social Studies
Chemistry
ChiShona
English
Music
Religious and Moral Education
Physics
Biology

Section Four - Main Subject

For the Diploma in Early Childhood Development, PSB is made up of four areas:

Expressive Arts
Science and Mathematics
Language Arts
Social Sciences

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

This programme is run under the auspices of the Department of Languages and Humanities and is offered to all students in order to enhance communication skills in written discourse and oral presentation. The programme shall be compulsory to all students throughout their three year course of study.

LANGUAGE APPRECIATION CLASSES

The programme is designed to promote the Ministry Language Policy and supports the College’s indigenous languages thrust and enhance the multi-cultural and linguistic diversity in the schools across Zimbabwe where the student teacher will be deployed after qualifying. It is offered to all students throughout their course of study. Each student teacher is expected to learn any two other languages in addition to their mother language. The following languages, and any other as may be determined from time to time, will be offered;