Government must urgently improve salaries and conditions of service for teachers
PROUDLY MBERENGWA: Dr. Takavafira Zhou
By Dr. Takavafira Zhou
The year 2022 must go down in the History of Education in Zimbabwe as a period of a wasted year. The unilateral 2021 Gvt Employees Savings Fund (Gems) failed to bring any dividends to teachers despite continued docking of their salaries.
The much hoped for assistance in paying fees for teachers’ children failed to reach any fruition and there has been continuous change of goal posts over its implementation in a manner that reflect deliberate fire fighting and specialisation in empty promises.
There are unilateral promises of solar system in a manner that is reminiscent to several promises that were made in the past that failed to reach fruition such as free basic education and other sector specific allowances.
It is clear that teachers have become the poorest of the poor in Zimbabwe as their salaries have continued to fall with monotonous regularity from US$540 in October 2018 to the current less than US$240 inclusive of allowances.
It is within this framework, coupled with demand for Zimbabwean teachers in other neighbouring countries and abroad that Ptuz calls upon gvt to urgently improve the salaries and conditions of service in order to entice many teachers to remain in the profession and ensure that a veritable system of education remains in force in Zimbabwe. We also implore gvt to arrange for gvt to gvt agreements with any country that demands Zimbabwean teachers in order to protect teachers from exploitation, export a surplus of teachers and ensure that there is brain circulation as opposed to brain drain. Excess teachers must be allowed to leave under arrangements that are not shrouded in secrecy and mystery, but are transparent and allows such teachers to come back after some period and invest in the system of education or assist its revamping using the experience gained from elsewhere. It is only through listening to professional advice that the education system in Zimbabwe can be protected from collapse and remain relevant and vibrant. Well paid teachers in safe schools remains a must for quality public education in Zimbabwe.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou is the President of Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe
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