Health Ministry to Scrap English from Nurse Training Requirements
The government, through the Minister of Health and Child Care, is looking at removing English Language from the mandatory entry requirements for those wishing to study nursing in Zimbabwe.
Speaking during a media briefing after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora addressed concerns raised by reports suggesting a relaxation of entry criteria for nursing.
An advertisement in The Sunday Mail had only mentioned English and Science as compulsory subjects for nursing training, omitting Mathematics.
Now, Health minister, Dr Mombeshora has disclosed that the government is considering removing English from the list of compulsory subjects for admission into nursing training.
He reasoned that since all other subjects considered for nurse training are taught in English, passing English itself should not be deemed necessary.
Health Ministry to Scrap English from Nurse Training Requirements
He argued that pursuing nursing does not equate to pursuing a degree in English, making the language an unnecessary requirement. He said:
“We are still looking into a way of recruiting more people who are committed to nursing and we are still looking at other issues like. ‘Is passing English with a C important?’ because anyone who has passed any of these subjects has been taught in English and if you go to universities outside Zimbabwe let’s say English for communication and not to pass English as if you want to go and do a degree in English. So we will keep on reviewing and make sure that we make accessibility to training in various disciplines affordable and accessible to all citizens of Zimbabwe.”
