News / Education
Qualified teachers barred from temporary work
02 May 2015 at 13:38hrs | Views
Government has banned the recruitment of qualified teachers on a temporary basis. The decision was communicated in a circular dated April 14 by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education which has been distributed to all provinces.
"No qualified teachers should be employed as relief teachers in any province. Consideration for relief teaching posts should be given to retirees and other categories that meet the expectations of the ministry," reads the circular.
"All newly qualified teachers from teachers' colleges who were employed as relief teachers should be employed on indefinite conditions of service as the vacancies are identified."
The move has not been welcomed by teachers and their representative bodies.
"I have completed my teaching diploma, but have not been able to get a job. In fact, job hunting has been made even more difficult by the new regulations that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has announced," said Mr Itai Chisamba, who graduated at Mutare Teachers' College recently. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora justified the move in an interview with The Herald.
"If you are qualified, why would you want to work as a relief teacher? That is corruption which is talked of everyday," he said. "I would like to know where they saw those notices, otherwise they are lying to you."
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Manuel Nyawo condemned the move by the ministry. "It is a very worrisome development that our newly qualified teachers are failing to get employment when it is no secret that we have got a serious shortage of qualified teachers," he said.
"As a union, we then wonder what has become of the ministry. "We suspect someone is benefiting out of these temporary teachers and we feel and strongly recommend that the Honourable Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora should seriously investigate this issue so that we unmask the corruption that could be taking place."
"No qualified teachers should be employed as relief teachers in any province. Consideration for relief teaching posts should be given to retirees and other categories that meet the expectations of the ministry," reads the circular.
"All newly qualified teachers from teachers' colleges who were employed as relief teachers should be employed on indefinite conditions of service as the vacancies are identified."
The move has not been welcomed by teachers and their representative bodies.
"I have completed my teaching diploma, but have not been able to get a job. In fact, job hunting has been made even more difficult by the new regulations that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has announced," said Mr Itai Chisamba, who graduated at Mutare Teachers' College recently. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora justified the move in an interview with The Herald.
"If you are qualified, why would you want to work as a relief teacher? That is corruption which is talked of everyday," he said. "I would like to know where they saw those notices, otherwise they are lying to you."
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Manuel Nyawo condemned the move by the ministry. "It is a very worrisome development that our newly qualified teachers are failing to get employment when it is no secret that we have got a serious shortage of qualified teachers," he said.
"As a union, we then wonder what has become of the ministry. "We suspect someone is benefiting out of these temporary teachers and we feel and strongly recommend that the Honourable Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora should seriously investigate this issue so that we unmask the corruption that could be taking place."
Source - herald
