Rural Teachers' Union Says CALAs Have Hindered Learners' Progress
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) says that Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) are expensive and time-consuming and their introduction in schools has negatively affected learners’ progress.
ARTUZ spokesperson Thembakuye Moyo said CALA have widened the gap between learners from economically disadvantaged learners and those from privileged backgrounds.
Moyo called for the reviewing of CALA to accommodate all learners considering that those in rural areas have inadequate digital learning facilities to conduct research as required by CALA. Moyo said:
Since their introduction in schools, CALAs have proven to be costly and time-consuming thereby negatively affecting learners’ progress.
Most CALAs require the use of the internet for research which then imposes costs of mobile data, laptops, and mobile devices, etc on top of the regular hiking fees.
In a country where the majority of the citizens are living in poverty, they widen the learning inequality gap as those from privileged backgrounds will be the only ones that can afford to learn.
Paying particular attention to the rural learner, the majority of schools have inadequate digital learning facilities to enable students to carry out their CALA.
It is the Union’s position that CALAs should be reformed in order to ensure effective learning in schools.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has been conducting countrywide reviews on CALA.
Some stakeholders, particularly parents and guardians, have called for the scrapping of CALA arguing they are struggling with the high cost of living and cannot afford to provide their children with the resources needed to do the CALA.
More: Pindula News
