‘No Child Left Behind’ as Ministry rolls out inclusive education drive

The Government has moved to operationalise its commitment to inclusive education, with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education conducting a high-level Safeguarding and Gender Equity, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) workshop in Bulawayo yesterday, aligned to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 agenda.

The workshop, held with support from development partners EDT and UK Aid, brought together the Matabeleland North provincial directorate, district schools inspectors, resource teams, and teachers to entrench principles of inclusivity across the schooling system as Zimbabwe pursues an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030 under the Second Republic.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Honourable Torerayi Moyo, declared that the agenda of leaving no learner behind was a foundational pillar of the country’s education reform trajectory.

“Every child, regardless of gender, ability, or social background, deserves a safe, dignified, and empowering learning environment. GEDSI is not a checkbox exercise. It is a foundational pillar of the education reform agenda we are driving under the Second Republic, ensuring that no learner is left behind, marginalised, or made to feel invisible within our school system,” said Minister Moyo.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to translate national policy frameworks, including the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS-2), into tangible outcomes at the grassroots level. NDS-2, which guides the country’s development from 2026 to 2030, prioritises inclusive growth and human capital development as key drivers toward Vision 2030.

“Workshops like this one are how policy becomes practice. When our inspectors, resource teams and teachers are equipped with the tools, knowledge and sensitivity to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns and to champion inclusion at every level, we transform not just classrooms, but communities,” he said.

The training focuses on equipping education officials with practical skills to identify safeguarding concerns and promote inclusion regardless of gender, ability, or social background. Participants from Matabeleland North are expected to cascade the knowledge to schools across the province.

Minister Moyo challenged the provincial leadership to embrace their role as agents of national transformation.

“To the Matabeleland North team gathered here today, you are the frontline of change. Go back to your schools, your districts, and your provinces, and carry this mandate with pride and purpose,” he said.

The initiative reflects the government’s commitment to building a robust education system that nurtures academic excellence while promoting equity and social inclusion, in line with the constitutional imperative to provide equal educational opportunities for all Zimbabwean children.