Sunday Mail
18 April 2010
Sunday Mail Reporter
CABINET is considering a number of strategies to improve the welfare of teachers to stop their exodus ahead of the second school term.
The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, revealed that he had raised the issue in Cabinet last week to stop the further drop in education standards.
“We raised the issue in our recent Cabinet meeting and we have tabled a number of strategies to address the welfare of both the rural and urban teacher.
“The welfare of teachers is of great concern to the Government and we are lobbying Cabinet and the donor community to urgently assist the education sector, but at the moment it’s premature to say what has been the outcome from our Cabinet meeting,†said Sen Coltart.
Sen Coltart said his ministry had engaged the donor community to assist in funding teacher’s salaries.
“The ministry has so far made tremendous strides with the donor community and we have approached Australia, Scandinavian countries, China and Japan through ambassadors in the country.
“Currently, we have an education fund managed by the United Nations Children’s Fund and this is another fund we are relying on to assist the country’s education sector,†said Sen Coltart.
In the last school term, teachers downed their tools, demanding a 200 percent increment on their salaries.
Teachers’ unions are engaging the Government for a salary hike which they want before the opening of the second term, but Finance Minister Mr Tendai Biti last week said Treasury has no money for higher salaries.
Sen Coltart said there were disparities between what the rural and the urban teacher was earning, adding that private schools would be allowed to continue paying allowances to teachers.
“The education sector only made 14 percent of the national budget, but as recommended by Unesco we were supposed to be having 22 percent. “Until we have such a percentage in the budget, teachers’ incentives will have to continue, but those teachers who extort money from parents and schoolchildren will face the wrath of the law,†said Sen Coltart.
He said abolishing the incentives would result in teachers leaving the country in droves to seek the so-called greener pastures.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe said there were indications on the ground that a number of their members were leaving the country. “Delays in addressing the welfare of teachers is creating another mass exodus of the country’s teaching staff. They are leaving for neighbouring countries like South Africa, Botswana and Namibia,†said Mr Majongwe.