Zimonline
By Patricia Mpofu
26 February 2009
HARARE – Education Minister David Coltart on Wednesday said he expected learning to have resumed at all schools across the country by early next month.
In a statement to the media, Coltart said an agreement had been reached after protracted negotiations with the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) to get all schools functioning again.
“We jointly expect all teachers to report for duty by the 2nd of March 2009 and that all the schools will be fully functional by 9 March 2009,†he said.
Coltart disclosed that his ministry and the two teachers unions agreed on seven points, chief among them being that teachers who have been absent from duty due to the industrial action be given amnesty and that the quantum of the March 2009 salaries and allowances would be agreed upon through negotiations.
He said it was the medium and long-term goal for the new government to bring teacher’s salaries in line with regional standards.
“It is agreed that to facilitate the return of teachers we will recommend as a ministry to the Public Service Commission that there should be an amnesty for teachers who have left the service through force of economic circumstances or disruption of all education systems between January 1 2007 and March 9 2009,†reads part of Coltart’s statement.
He said it has been further agreed that the 2008 educational year would not be revisited, adding that the ministry intended regularising the 2009 calendar as soon as possible.
“In this regard, the 1st term and 2nd Term will end as originally advised. The 2nd Term will begin earlier on Tuesday 5 May instead of 12 May. The 3rd Term will begin 2 September instead of Tuesday 8 September,†he said.
Very little learning took place at public schools in 2008 as teachers spent the better part of the year striking for more pay or sitting at home because could not afford bus fare to work on their meagre salaries.
There has been virtually no learning at public schools since the new term officially began on January 27 because teachers were either on strike or unable to come to work.
The collapse of the education sector along with that of the public health system have come to symbolise the decayed state of Zimbabwe’s key infrastructure and institutions after a decade of acute recession.
Once a model African economy Zimbabwe is grappling with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis seen in acute shortages of food and basic commodities, amid an outbreak of cholera that has killed nearly 4 000 people since last August.
A new unity government formed two weeks ago by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has raised hopes the country could finally emerge from its crisis.
But the success of the Harare administration hinges on its ability to raise financial support from rich Western countries that have however said they will not immediately help until they are convinced Mugabe is committed genuinely share power with Tsvangirai.