The Herald
3 September 2009
Harare — Thousands of schoolteachers countrywide heeded calls by their unions to report for duty as lessons resumed in earnest for the third term yesterday.
However, there was confusion in some provinces over the actual opening date as some schools had indicated to students and teachers that the third term would begin on September 8.
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart yesterday said his ministry could not understand the source for this confusion as it had communicated that schools would reopen on the 2nd and not the 8th of September.
He said the position remained unchanged and all Govern-ment workers were expected to report for duty when schools opened yesterday. Minister Coltart confirmed that the majority of the teachers had turned up for lessons yesterday, but some of them left early for unknown reasons.
He, however, appealed to teachers to attend lessons to avoid jeorpadising students’ learning. “We continue to appeal to teachers to attend lessons as this third term is crucial to our students. Ordinary and Advanced Level final examinations are just a month away and we don’t want to affect students,” he said.
Educators in Zimbabwe are represented by fragmented groups the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association, the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe and the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe.
Zimta has called for a nationwide teachers’ strike demanding a salary increment that would bring their earnings at par with their counterparts in the region, while the other unions are calling for “constructive dialogue”.
Zimta secretary-general Mr Richard Gundani yesterday said their membership went to work in the morning, but returned after receiving circulars informing them of the job action. “We are starting a full-scale strike in several cities and towns tomorrow (today). Our members will not report for work at all,” he said.
However, PTUZ secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe yesterday said his union was encouraging its members to report for duty today as they try to exhaust all communication channels.
“Most of our members reported for duty. We haven’t heard of any absenteeism. Some of the teachers phoned our offices to seek clarification and we told them to attend lessons,” said Mr Majongwe.
TUZ chief executive officer Mr Manuel Nyawo yesterday concurred with Mr Majongwe that the teachers should give dialogue with their employer a chance. In Masvingo, almost all teachers throughout the province reported for work.
It was business as usual at most Masvingo schools after most of the teachers reported for duty and proceeded to conduct lessons in both Masvingo urban and rural. Normal activities were noted at Vurombo, Dikwindi and Victoria Junior primary schools while teachers at Victoria, Mucheke and Ndarama high schools also reported for duty.
Teachers at boarding schools such as Berejena and Mutendi high schools were at their stations. In interviews some of the teachers said they were tired of being used as “pawns in political games” hence the decision to report for duty.
“We understand the situation facing the country at the moment and it will be heartless for us to boycott classes at a time when pupils are due for their final exams,” said a teacher at Berejena High School who preferred anonymity.