Achieving quality and education for sustainable development in higher education management the Zimbabwean experiences

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue VI, June 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Achieving quality and education for sustainable development in higher education management the Zimbabwean experiences

GN Shava¹, S Ndlovu², E Mathonsi³, S Hleza⁴, N Tshuma^5
1,²,³,⁴National University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology Education, P.O Box 939, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
⁵Midlands State University, Faculty of Business Sciences, Gweru, Zimbabwe

Abstract: The African continent continues to support UNESCO’s and United Nations Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) lifelong efforts of deepening and widening access to higher education extending to distance education initiatives. Sustainable development in education is understood as the provision of quality and prosperous education, which is sustainable for the environment and has become the world’s first and most important concern, as it is the only path towards economic development, eradication of hunger and survival of our species. Sustainable quality education entails the acquisition of both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individuals to be self- reliant and useful members of society. Education for sustainable development encompasses improving higher education, reorienting the education system to address sustainability, improving awareness and providing training to many sectors of society. The rapid growth of higher education in Zimbabwe seems to inevitably lead to the belief that mass higher education has been achieved at the price of lower quality higher education. Using semi structured face to face interviews with higher education directors, and purposely selected students from three universities, the study established that Zimbabwe was still facing multiple challenges of providing quality sustainable higher education and would require a quick fix. In this study we argue that quality higher education is crucial to achieve the sustainable development goals and the achievement of quality learning in the entire education system. The chapter highlights some of the strategies that can be adopted to achieve sustainable quality higher education in Zimbabwe and probably Africa as a whole to promote excellence, sustainability and development in higher education.

Key Words: Distance education, education for sustainable development, higher education, quality education, sustainable education, teaching and learning.

I.INTRODUCTION

This article explores the major challenges of providing quality, sustainability and development in higher education in Zimbabwe. The paper examines the specific targets of quality and sustainability in higher education and teacher education, focusing on the specific targets of the fourth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) on quality education (WEF 2016). Specifically, target 4.7 of SDG4 which will be discussed in greater detail requires all governments by 2030 to: ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. Its aim is to explore the complexity of raising quality sustainable higher education learning suggesting the need for

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