Zimbabwe to Make Indigenous Languages Compulsory in Schools

By Staff Reporter | Harare

Zimbabwe is set to make the teaching of indigenous languages compulsory in schools from next year as the Government accelerates implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) across the education system.

The policy will affect public, private and independent schools, including institutions that offer international curricula such as Cambridge. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo said indigenous languages would become mandatory from Early Childhood Development (ECD) through Grade 7 from 2027, with learners expected to study and write a vernacular language appropriate to their geographical location.

“We held a meeting three weeks ago with officials from the Cambridge Examination Syndicate, where we agreed that starting next year it will be compulsory for all the schools in Zimbabwe to offer vernacular languages for all the students from ECE, Early Childhood Education A, Early Childhood Education B right up to Grade 7,” Moyo said recently. “There will be no exemptions in terms of the writing of vernacular languages. It becomes mandatory for every child from ECE right up to Grade 7.”

The policy means learners in different parts of the country will generally study indigenous languages associated with their communities. Moyo gave the example of learners in Binga being required to study and write Tonga. The Government has also indicated that by 2028, every learner will be required to have passed at least one indigenous language, extending the policy beyond primary education.

Cambridge schools also affected

The indigenous-language requirement is part of a broader Government push to make the Heritage-Based Curriculum the national framework for all schools.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that ZIMSEC examinations would become mandatory for schools from 2027, although institutions wishing to continue offering Cambridge examinations may do so alongside the national system, subject to approval. The government has repeatedly stressed that international curricula cannot replace Zimbabwe's national curriculum.

The Ministry said the position was necessary to ensure that learners receive a common educational foundation rooted in Zimbabwe's history, culture, languages and national development priorities. The move followed concerns that some private and independent schools were offering foreign languages such as French and Chinese while indigenous Zimbabwean languages were receiving less attention.

Moyo has previously said the Government values all 16 officially recognised languages and does not intend to make only Shona or Ndebele compulsory nationally. Instead, the policy takes account of the language communities in different parts of Zimbabwe.

Heritage-Based Curriculum takes centre stage

The indigenous-language policy forms part of a wider rollout of the Heritage-Based Curriculum, which places greater emphasis on practical skills, innovation, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, technology and indigenous knowledge. The Government says the curriculum is intended to produce learners who can apply their education to real-world problems and contribute to national development.

Moyo has argued that education should not be limited to academic achievement but should equip learners to create goods and services and solve problems within their communities. School-based projects are therefore expected to play a greater role, with learners encouraged to identify challenges around them, research possible solutions and develop practical responses.

The Government has already begun implementing the HBC across schools, with the first public examinations under the revised curriculum being introduced during the 2026 examination cycle.

Government addresses private-school concerns

The policy has generated debate among schools that have traditionally followed international examination systems. In June, Government reaffirmed that the Heritage-Based Curriculum was compulsory for all learners, including those enrolled in Cambridge programmes, after Cambridge University Press and Assessment appeared to suggest that learners would retain a choice between local and international curricula.

The Ministry subsequently clarified that Cambridge qualifications could continue but could not substitute the national curriculum. The Government's approach has therefore been to make the Zimbabwean curriculum the foundation while allowing international qualifications to operate as an additional pathway where schools receive the necessary approval.

The move towards compulsory indigenous-language education is also intended to strengthen the position of Zimbabwe's languages within the formal education system. While the policy begins with ECD through Grade 7 in 2027, the planned 2028 requirement for learners to have passed an indigenous language would extend its impact into secondary education.

For parents and schools, the changes mean greater attention will have to be paid to indigenous-language teaching, teacher availability, learning materials and examination preparation as Zimbabwe moves towards a more standardised national education system.

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