Government to set up teachers’ council

Daily News                            

By Chengetai Zvauya          

29 September 2011

Harare – Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart says government intends to set up a professional teachers’ council to administer the welfare of the teachers and improve their professional conduct.

Coltart told the Daily News that his ministry was hoping to bring professionalism to the teaching profession.

“This Council will be similar to the work of the Law Society of Zimbabwe which regulates lawyers, and it is never our intention to monitor the teachers but we think there is a need for this council,” said Coltart.

Coltart said that government did not want to investigate the operations of the teachers unions that are collecting subscriptions from the members.

“There is no law that compels us to investigate the teachers unions and the rights of teachers to approach the courts for criminal or civil charges against their unions if they feel that they are being short-changed by their unions,” said Coltart.

There are three major teachers unions in the country namely Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ).

Zimta has 40 000 members, and PTUZ has 15 000 while TUZ has 10 000 members.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe Secretary General Raymond Majongwe said his union had nothing to worry about as their operations were above board.

“We are running our organisation in a professional manner and we are also a trade union and our members are free to approach us if they need any clarification from us because we have nothing to hide from them,” said Majongwe.

Teachers have become powerful trade union affiliate with 90 000 members who engaged in a bruising battle with government over salary increments and have throughout the year been threatening to go on strike.