The Herald
By Felex Share
6th January 2010
THE payment of incentives to teachers by parents will continue until Government is able to offer them viable salaries, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart said yesterday.
However, Minister Coltart warned school authorities to involve parents in coming up with the incentives to avoid gross abuse of the facility.
In an interview yesterday, Minister Coltart said while Government was “preparing a viable salary” for teachers, payment of “reasonable” incentives by parents was the only way Government and parents would avoid staff exodus.
“I am told Government is not in a position to pay them (teachers) viable salaries but while this is being processed, payment of reasonable incentives must continue for us to keep teachers at work.
“Our wish is to scrap incentives as they have created inequalities in the education system as well as increasing tension between teachers and parents but there is a danger that if we cut them now, we may see a massive exodus of the teaching staff,” he said.
Minister Coltart, however, said his ministry would make sure that school authorities complied with the stipulated regulations on incentives as the system has been abused by most school authorities.
“Parents have been milked a lot so there is need for us to make sure that this does not happen again. Procedures like getting the approval of parents have to be followed not just declaring to parents,” said Minister Coltart.
Minister Coltart’s sentiments come in the wake of last year’s reports that some schools were demanding exorbitant amounts of as much as US$20 per month per student as incentives for teachers and defaulters were being sent home or not allowed to attend lessons in some instances.
Teachers’ unions yesterday said they were fully geared for the first term of the year, which begins next Tuesday, but pleaded with Government to divulge what they would be getting before schools open.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe urged Government to announce the exact figures they would be getting from Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s budget to map the way forward.
“We are fully prepared for the forthcoming term but we want to know what we will be taking home because it is traditional that from the Budget announced by the Minister of Finance we get something.
“We want to know if it is a total rejection or not because we do not want a situation whereby we start and leave the teaching midway,” said Mr Majongwe.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association secretary-general Mr Richard Gundane said their members were prepared to go to work but wanted to know what Government was offering them.
“As it is New Year, we are anticipating a lot from the Government and we are keen to know what is in store for us since the Budget was announced last year,” said Mr Gundane.
Perennial strikes over salaries by teachers have in recent years characterised the opening of schools, a situation which has affected the country’s education system.