Zambian Curriculum is as confused as Zambian Politics.
In those good days when we had stable and predictable curriculum, Social Studies was a subject for Primary School going pupils.
At Junior Secondary, one was to learn History, Geography, Civics, et al as single subjects which motivated us to pursue the same at Senior Secondary and later specialized them at Universities
Today, in a confused state of our education system, Geography, History and Civics are now components of what’s termed “Social Studies” at Junior Secondary.
Yet, the same government has introduced Civic Education at Senior Secondary level as a standalone subject.
Under a normal functional educational system, Geography, History, Civic Education should have been left alone as standalone subjects from Junior Secondary so as to motivate pupils specialized in these subjects as they get into senior secondary and universities.
For instance, UNZA has a full-fledged sections or departments for History, Geography and Civic Education and yet these subjects are treated as secondary in the school curriculum.
Who advises these education authorities to misbehave like this? As a geography and civic education student, I bemoan this ill-informed decision to combine History, Geography and Civics into one under “Social Studies” at Junior level and appeal to Ministry of General Education to revisit this decision.
By MacDonald Chipenzi