Constituency Building and Resource Provision in Curriculum Change in Post-Independence Zimbabwe

This article examines the role of constituency building and resource provision in the process of curriculum change in post-1980 Zimbabwe. It mainly utilises data from existent literature and documents to explore the role of these factors in curriculum change in the 1980 to 2014 and the 2015-2022 Zimbabwe Curriculum Framework for Primary and Secondary Education (ZCF 2015-2022). Based on an understanding that the curriculum change process encompasses phases of; initiation and conceptualisation, design, and implementation, the study examines how constituency building and resource provision impacted and can impact on these processes. The focus on constituency building and resource provision is on the realization that of the many variables that determine the nature and fate of curriculum change most are closely linked to these two factors. The study shows that in the period prior to 2015, curriculum change was spearheaded by the Curriculum Development Unit (CDU) Subject Panels (SP). In contrast, the ZCF (2015-2022) process was preceded by a new practice in constituency building in the form of a nationwide consultation exercise. With regards to resource provision, similar challenges were experienced in both the pre- and post-2015 periods. Overall, the level of constituency building, and resource provision efforts were far from being ideal. Main recommendation of the study is that attention to constituency building and resource provision in the various phases of the curriculum process would go a long way to ensure successful curriculation.