Civil society calls for education reform to combat fake information

Marshall Bwanya

Harare—Manicaland-based civil society organisations have called on the government and relevant stakeholders to adopt formal education curricula that address fake information.

In a joint press statement issued on 25 November, three community-based organisations (CBOs)—Young Entrepreneurs Trust Zimbabwe (YETZ), Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Workers Union (ZIDAWU) and Zivai Community Empowerment Trust (ZICET)—raised alarm over the rising prevalence of disinformation and misinformation, describing the twin evils as a pandemic.

“Disinformation and misinformation are evils that will certainly burden and harm the world and go down in history as one of the worst plagues to visit humanity in the 21st century,” the statement read.

The CBOs warned that these challenges threatened a broad range of spheres, including education, health, economic empowerment, political stability and social cohesion.

The organisations are urging the government of Zimbabwe, relevant ministries, lawmakers, educators, academia, and non-governmental organisations to implement deliberate policies and strategies that promote information literacy and critical thinking among learners, starting at the primary school level.

The CBOs insist that equipping students with critical thinking skills is essential for combating false information.

“By developing critical thinking skills, students become discerning consumers of information, capable of distinguishing fact from fakery,” read the statement.

The proposed curriculum would include fact-checking techniques, online search strategies, and methods to discern credible sources from unreliable ones.

The CBOs noted that formal education in digital literacy would enhance students’ abilities to navigate the “online information jungle” responsibly.

Lessons would also promote ethical standards for online interaction and content sharing within families, communities, workplaces, and the public sphere.

“This type of information literacy is crucial for navigating the complex digital landscape that we are living in and will empower learners to distinguish between credible and unreliable sources, evaluate their authority and credibility and also recognise peer reviewed information and content for sharing within families, local communities, workplaces and the public sphere in general,” added the statement.

The organisations stressed the need for comprehensive training for teachers.
They proposed interdisciplinary approaches to equip educators with the necessary skills to critically assess information and effectively guide their students.

Recognising the magnitude of the challenge, the CSOs called for a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach.

Beyond the education sector, they urged partnerships among government bodies, civil society, academia, and international organisations to build societal resilience against false information. “By prioritising media literacy, Zimbabwe can build a generation of discerning individuals capable of safeguarding democracy, promoting human rights, and fostering national development,” the statement concluded.

The CBOs’ call underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to combat the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation.

By building a more informed and resilient society, Zimbabwe can safeguard its future in an increasingly digital world where artificial intelligence has been identified as a major threat to reliable information.

YETZ, ZICET and ZIDAWU were among six CBOs that underwent phased training on community strategies to identify and counter disinformation as part of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) Impact Award funded by the US Department of State and administered by Meridian International Centre.

All the six organisations are using online and offline methods of exposing and fighting fakery, using Whatsapp groups and physical in-community meetings to discuss disinformation affecting their areas.