The Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) 2024–2030: Implications for Quality, Inclusive and CompetenceBased Education in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) 2024–2030 represents a significant paradigm shift aimed at aligning education with national heritage, socio-economic transformation, and global development agendas. Anchored in Heritage-Based Education 5.0, Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), and the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 20212025, the curriculum seeks to produce competent, innovative, and patriotic pupils. This paper analyses the philosophical foundations, structure, pedagogy, and assessment mechanisms of the HBC using qualitative document analysis. Findings show that the HBC provides a coherent framework for competence-based, inclusive education aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4, though its success depends on teacher capacity, infrastructure, financing, and sustained research support.