Mahwanke Parents Raise Alarm Over Teacher Shortages at Local Primary School

Originally reported by CITE 

Residents of Mahwanke in Gwanda have expressed deep concern over the persistent shortage of teachers at Mahwanke Primary School, a crisis that has forced many children to transfer to schools in neighbouring areas.

According to a report by the Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE), community members revealed that teachers do not stay at the school permanently. Instead, they come for short stints and then leave, disrupting learning continuity.

"It's painful what our children are going through. Teachers are not consistent. You'll find Grade Five pupils being taught together with Grade Seven. This confuses them because their subjects are different," one parent told CITE.

Another parent said they had already moved their three children to a school in a different ward.

"One of my children was in ECD, but I withdrew them from Mahwanke because the distance to another school was too much. The other two are in Grade Three and Grade Five. They now attend a school across the ward, and the journey is long," the parent explained.

"When it rains, we have to escort the children and help them cross flooded rivers. Sometimes even their teachers carry them across. It's a painful way for children to access education," they added.

Parents cited lack of water and electricity at the school as key reasons why teachers refuse to stay, making it difficult for them to live and work comfortably.

They urged authorities to intervene and uphold the constitutional rights of children to quality education.