The recent advert for General Nurse Training really set the cat among the pigeons. Many were quick to react to media reports, here and here, that Mathematics was no longer a mandatory subject to pass to qualify for nurse training.
This led to various reactions – from fears that this was going to pose a danger to patients; that this was a politically motivated gimmick; to others saying this was a calculated move to make Zimbabwean nurses unemployable in other countries.
On the other end of the debate were those saying Mathematics was not necessary in nurse training but had only been used to exclude others.
There were also claims that Mathematics had never been a requirement.
@svosveii posted, ‘Mathematics has never been a prerequisite except coming as “a Science Subject”.
So, for the past donkey years, the Nursing recruitment advert read: 5 “O” LEVEL subjects including English & a Sciece Subject (Excluding TD; Meral work/ Wood work and Fashion & Fabrics). What’s new?’
A local online paper also claimed that the requirement has been ‘in place since 2015 – to have passed O’ Level Mathematics for one to qualify for nurse training’.
‘No Maths, No degree’
In 2015, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education began to promote STEM as a deliberate policy in the education system.
The then minister, Prof Jonathan Moyo, announced that a new policy was coming into effect where ‘we don’t expect those without these subjects (Mathematics and Science) to enrol at higher and tertiary education’ institutions’.
This saw the government in 2016, issuing a circular that was addressed to the Higher Education Examination Council (Hexco) directing that students without Mathematics should not be allowed to register for examinations.
This requirement for Mathematics was eventually widened to also include teacher training.
Backtracking
In 2018, government backtracked on the Mathematics requirement for all tertiary enrolment. This followed reports that enrolment at colleges had declined due to this requirement.
The then minister, Prof Amon Murwira, announced a 10 percent increase in enrolment following the scrapping of mathematics for all tertiary studies. He was quoted at the time saying ‘it did not make sense for an institution to have O-Level Mathematics as a requirement for a purely Arts programme’.
Adding Math to the equation
It was only when other sectors removed the mandatory Mathematics requirement in 2018 that nursing brought it into the mix. In October 2018, then permanent secretary in the Health Ministry, Dr Gwinji, directed that enrolment requirements were changing with effect from May 2019; ‘Applicants for the above course should be between ages of 18 and 30 years. Applicants must have five O-Level passes in one sitting with Grade C or better. The subjects should include English Language, Mathematics and a Science subject. The two other subjects exclude practical subjects such as Woodwork, Building, Metalwork, Fashion and Fabrics’.
This is when Zimbabwe also introduced the centralised online portal application system.
Turning back the clock
The 2024 intake advert which does not include mathematics is, therefore, a return to pre-2019 requirements. It is also not the only change to the post-2019 requirements. The requirement that applicants have 5 ‘O’ level subjects in one sitting has been removed and applicants are, once again, allowed to have the required number of subjects from two sittings. The online portal has also since been discarded.
According to the current health ministry permanent secretary, Dr Aspect Maunganidze, nursing school entry requirements were laid out in Statutory Instrument 245 of 2000 as five Ordinary Level subjects, including English and Science. This means that the 2019 Mathematics requirement has been illegal since the SI 245 of 2000 is still in place. Responding to questions on the removal of mathematics, health minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, said the key subject to studying medicine is Chemistry which translates to a Science subject in nursing.
Conclusion
The requirement that one passes Mathematics with a grade C or better at ‘O’ level is fairly new. It was announced in 2018, taking effect in May 2019. The requirement was also contrary to the legal instrument in place on the criteria for nurse training recruitment which sets five ordinary level passes including English and Science, as the requirement.
