By Mrs. Olicah Kaira, Chief Director, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Zimbabwe, Josephine Kiyenje, Spotlight Series Lead, GEM Report, Faith Nkala, Country Director, EDT and Lovemore Ndlovu, UNESCO Regional office for Southern Africa We set out to explore school leadership in Zimbabwe with a clear purpose – to understand how policy reforms are shaping […] The post Strengthening school leadership to transform learning in Zimbabwe appeared first on World Education Blog.
By Mrs. Olicah Kaira, Chief Director, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Zimbabwe, Josephine Kiyenje, Spotlight Series Lead, GEM Report, Faith Nkala, Country Director, EDT and Lovemore Ndlovu, UNESCO Regional office for Southern Africa
We set out to explore school leadership in Zimbabwe with a clear purpose – to understand how policy reforms are shaping what happens in schools and to learn from the evidence on what more can be done to strengthen leadership for learning. In conducting the Spotlight on Basic Education Completion and Foundational Learning: Zimbabwe, we knew we would find dedicated professionals working hard for their students. What we discovered was even more encouraging— a system with notable strengths—and one ready to act on the insights emerging from this research.
Why school leadership matters
Great teachers change lives. But behind every thriving classroom is often an effective school leader—someone who supports teachers, sets expectations, and creates the conditions for learning to flourish. That’s why Zimbabwe chose to participate in the continental Spotlight series alongside Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and Morocco, putting school leadership under the microscope to understand what’s working and where improvements can make the biggest difference.
What we found
To understand school leadership, a robust mixed-methods approach combining quantitative survey and qualitative interviews was carried out among school heads, districts school inspectors, teachers and community representatives, all of which were contextualized to fit the Zimbabwean context. Across four districts— Chitungwiza, Mzilikazi, Mudzi, and Beitbridge –, 60 schools were chosen to reflect different levels of school performance in both rural and urban settings. The survey revealed genuine cause for optimism. Leaders demonstrated strong awareness of the Ministry’s learning expectations. They are actively monitoring classroom performance, meeting regularly with teachers, and organising professional development opportunities. This instructional focus—keeping learning at the centre—is exactly what research tells us effective school leaders do.
But we also heard honestly about the challenges. School heads spoke of wanting more comprehensive training before taking on their roles, delivered consistently across all districts. Those in rural areas, in particular, expressed a need for better access to professional development. Many described struggling under the weight of administrative demands that pull them away from supporting teaching and learning.
We also found that the Zimbabwe Early Learning Policy (ZELP), which promotes instruction in children’s home languages, is not yet reaching every classroom. In around 30% of schools surveyed, English remains the sole medium of instruction—despite strong evidence that children learn foundational skills more effectively in a language they understand.
A Ministry that listens
Building on this research, alongside commitments to ensure there are the resources needed for foundational learning, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has announced four concrete commitments in response.
- Strengthening school leadership capacity. The Ministry will prioritise delivering comprehensive training prior to appointment, ensuring new school heads are fully equipped from day one. This will include a standardized induction programme aligned with the Heritage-Based Curriculum accompanied by targeted funding for rural and remote areas. MoPSE will work with universities and teacher training colleges to enhance pre-service leadership courses, creating robust pathways for aspiring school leaders, and targeted support to advance gender equity in school leadership positions.
- Supporting ZELP implementation through instruction in local languages. To ensure every child can learn in a language they understand, MoPSE commits to translating foundational learning materials into all 16 official local languages. Teachers will receive comprehensive guidance and support in using pupils’ home languages, strengthening implementation. The Zimbabwe Early Learning Assessment (ZELA) measures the effectiveness of ZELP by tracking proficiency levels in English, Mathematics and local languages, and will be expanded to target more pupils.
- Strengthening middle-tier oversight and accountability. Performance evaluation frameworks for district inspectors and school leaders will be broadened to encompass teacher professional growth, instructional practices, student engagement and learning outcomes. The Ministry will also work with the Public Service Commission to develop a school leadership competency framework, providing guidance for inclusive and effective instructional leadership across foundational stages.
- Enhancing community engagement and governance. School Development Committees will receive ongoing support and training to strengthen their role in supporting learning outcomes. Emphasis will be made on clarifying the respective roles of school heads and community representatives to drive stronger collaboration.
Learning from each other
Zimbabwe’s participation in the Spotlight series connects it to the African Union’s Leveraging Education Analysis for Results Network (LEARN), where countries share what is working for them. Zimbabwe is contributing valuable lessons on foundational learning framed as positive practices in the new report, including the Zimbabwe Early Learning Assessment (ZELA) and its approach to remedial teaching.
A new AU LEARN policy dashboard shows that Zimbabwe already has five of six key leadership policies in place. The remaining piece is a formal school leadership competency framework to guide selection, training, and professional development, which is addressed by the new commitments in today’s new report.
What comes next
Improving education systems is slow, difficult work. But it begins with honest assessment and genuine commitment to change. In this Spotlight report on Zimbabwe, both are present.
We will continue to monitor progress and share what is learnt. Because when school leaders succeed, teachers succeed—and when teachers succeed, children learn.
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