News / Education
'Teachers' incentives are history,' says Dokora
05 Oct 2014 at 08:10hrs | Views
THE Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Lazarus Dokora, has poured cold water on teachers' hopes for the re-introduction of pay incentives, describing the facility as history.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 20th World Teacher's Day commemorations held by the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) in Bulawayo on Friday, Dr Dokora dismissed any chances of Government lifting the ban on incentives.
He was responding to questions by journalists on Government's position regarding recent demands by teacher's unions that incentives be brought back.
Teachers' unions are on record calling on the ministry to allow parents and guardians to pay incentives as a way of improving teachers' salaries.
"That is history. Why should we be talking about things in the past? Right now we should be talking about more progressive issues than incentives. Right now we are busy trying to look at how we can differentiate teachers' salaries according to their qualifications and experience.
"We can't be talking about history now when we are already focusing on issues such as the teacher capacity development programme; programmes that are meant to improve the quality of teachers and education in the country. Let's forget about the past and focus on the future," he said. Government banned payment of incentives to teachers in April this year.
Incentives were introduced by Government in 2009 in a bid to augment teachers' poor salaries. Zimta chief executive officer, Mr Sifiso Ndlovu, said in as much as his association would want incentives to be re-introduced, he was against the idea of parents and guardians being forced to pay teachers.
"When you make parents pay teachers by way of law, you are reducing teachers to community based workers, which is wrong. However, when parents volunteer it is okay. We don't have to worry, we cannot force and use incentives as a ransom," he said.
Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general, Mr Raymond Majongwe, was recently quoted demanding the immediate re-introduction of incentives in schools.
"The Government should not just be arrogant on this matter because if parents are willing and can afford to pay incentives, then it must be allowed. The reality of the matter is that salaries given to teachers are not enough hence incentives will complement such poor salaries," he said.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference is also lobbying Government to allow Catholic schools to continue paying incentives, a facility they argue has been in place at their schools since time immemorial as a way of retaining performing staff.
Meanwhile, Dr Dokora allayed fears that teachers who do not have Maths, English and Science at Ordinary Level risk losing their jobs as reported in some sections of the media some time this year.
Sometime in May this year, it was reported that Government had given an ultimatum to teachers who do not have the three "core subjects" at O-level, to attain the subjects or risk being ejected from the system.
This announcement sparked panic among teachers, with their unions urging Government to tread with caution on the matter.
However, Dr Dokora on Friday cleared the air on the issue saying the initiative which is part of the teacher capacity development programme, is not compulsory.
He explained that the programme is aimed at developing teachers' skills in line with modern trends and that teachers who do not have Maths, English and Science are being encouraged to attain the subjects at their own pace.
"I'm always seeing articles in newspapers about teachers being forced to go back to school and I ask myself, who is creating these things. Some people use the social media irresponsibly, planting viral messages to confuse the system. That is mischief which people should ignore. You must not spend time following viral messages to no end," said Dr Dokora.
World Teacher's Day is marked on 5 October every year since 1994 to honour and recognise the signing of Unesco and International Labour Organisation recommendations concerning the status of the teachers on 5 October 1966.
This year's celebrations are running under the theme: "Unite for Quality Education, Invest in Teachers, Invest in the Future".
Speaking on the sidelines of the 20th World Teacher's Day commemorations held by the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) in Bulawayo on Friday, Dr Dokora dismissed any chances of Government lifting the ban on incentives.
He was responding to questions by journalists on Government's position regarding recent demands by teacher's unions that incentives be brought back.
Teachers' unions are on record calling on the ministry to allow parents and guardians to pay incentives as a way of improving teachers' salaries.
"That is history. Why should we be talking about things in the past? Right now we should be talking about more progressive issues than incentives. Right now we are busy trying to look at how we can differentiate teachers' salaries according to their qualifications and experience.
"We can't be talking about history now when we are already focusing on issues such as the teacher capacity development programme; programmes that are meant to improve the quality of teachers and education in the country. Let's forget about the past and focus on the future," he said. Government banned payment of incentives to teachers in April this year.
Incentives were introduced by Government in 2009 in a bid to augment teachers' poor salaries. Zimta chief executive officer, Mr Sifiso Ndlovu, said in as much as his association would want incentives to be re-introduced, he was against the idea of parents and guardians being forced to pay teachers.
"When you make parents pay teachers by way of law, you are reducing teachers to community based workers, which is wrong. However, when parents volunteer it is okay. We don't have to worry, we cannot force and use incentives as a ransom," he said.
Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general, Mr Raymond Majongwe, was recently quoted demanding the immediate re-introduction of incentives in schools.
"The Government should not just be arrogant on this matter because if parents are willing and can afford to pay incentives, then it must be allowed. The reality of the matter is that salaries given to teachers are not enough hence incentives will complement such poor salaries," he said.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference is also lobbying Government to allow Catholic schools to continue paying incentives, a facility they argue has been in place at their schools since time immemorial as a way of retaining performing staff.
Meanwhile, Dr Dokora allayed fears that teachers who do not have Maths, English and Science at Ordinary Level risk losing their jobs as reported in some sections of the media some time this year.
Sometime in May this year, it was reported that Government had given an ultimatum to teachers who do not have the three "core subjects" at O-level, to attain the subjects or risk being ejected from the system.
This announcement sparked panic among teachers, with their unions urging Government to tread with caution on the matter.
However, Dr Dokora on Friday cleared the air on the issue saying the initiative which is part of the teacher capacity development programme, is not compulsory.
He explained that the programme is aimed at developing teachers' skills in line with modern trends and that teachers who do not have Maths, English and Science are being encouraged to attain the subjects at their own pace.
"I'm always seeing articles in newspapers about teachers being forced to go back to school and I ask myself, who is creating these things. Some people use the social media irresponsibly, planting viral messages to confuse the system. That is mischief which people should ignore. You must not spend time following viral messages to no end," said Dr Dokora.
World Teacher's Day is marked on 5 October every year since 1994 to honour and recognise the signing of Unesco and International Labour Organisation recommendations concerning the status of the teachers on 5 October 1966.
This year's celebrations are running under the theme: "Unite for Quality Education, Invest in Teachers, Invest in the Future".
Source - Sunday News
