Corporal punishment rife in Zim schools

THE Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (Zimta) has expressed concern at the continued use of corporal punishment in schools, a development that has seen many teachers facing disciplinary action. Addressing journalists during the 34th Zimta annual conference in Harare yesterday, the association's president, Richard Gundane, called for non-violent ways of punishing children in schools.

"Zimta, through its various departments, has noted that corporal punishment is still rife in schools across the country and we're concerned that many people believe that corporal punishment is the African and Zimbabwean method of child discipline," he said.

"We're also concerned about the number of teachers facing disciplinary charges as a result of administering corporal punishment. We call for child rearing and disciplining methods that are non-violent and respectful of children's physical and psychological integrity."

Gundane said it was sad that the Zimta conference was coming at a time of mounting teacher problems such as poor salaries and working conditions, the absence of collective bargaining in the civil service, unfulfilled promises on non-monetary benefits and the decline of trade union activism in the unions.

He said they were opposed to the use of the Zuva Petroleum case in which the Supreme Court ruled that workers can be sacked on three months' notice, in the country's civil service.

Gundane said the association was in the process of verifying why thousands of teachers have not received their salaries for the past two months.

He said they were discussing with the government to ensure that the Labour Amendment Bill does not negatively affect government workers.

"In our view when the government cuts workers' salaries with no explanation it means they have been fired. Confusion is still hanging in the air for some teachers as a proven number of at least 1,000 professional teachers have 'lost their jobs' due to the ongoing government audit," said Gundane.

"As Zimta we'll not accept any importation of the applicability of the Zuva Petroleum case into the civil service. We're already in the process of establishing the genuine reasons that have led to their loss of employment as well as communicating our position to the government on job losses."

He said teachers feel that the freezing of their salaries without notice was unreasonable and unfair as it amounts to administrative injustice.

The Zimta president said they would challenge the salary case through all possible legal means.

He urged the government to play its pivotal role of funding, administering and regulating public education.

"Education is a means of addressing equality of opportunities. There's a need to address exclusion and marginalisation and disparities. This conference calls for an enabling environment that guarantees quality public education for all," said Gundane.

"The conference will also deliberate on the status of the proposed education curriculum review, the funding of education and the provision of quality public education as a human right."

A total of 250 teachers and representatives from trade unions from Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the Southern African Teachers' Organisation (Sato) are attending the 2015 Zimta conference.

The conference is running under the theme "Education for equality and development, demands professionally trained, well supported and motivated teachers".