News / Local
BCC sweats over staff turnover at 'worst school'
14 Apr 2023 at 07:33hrs | Views
IN an effort to retain teachers and address the poor pass rate at its perennial worst-performing school, Aisleby Primary School, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has resolved to provide staff accommodation as part of a raft of measures to solve the challenges.
Aisleby's pass rate has remained lower than 20 percent for the past 10 years except in 2018 when it stood at 60,78 percent.
In last year's Zimsec Grade Seven National Examinations, Aisleby improved from zero percent to 13,3 percent.
Located about 7km from the Trenance suburb, Aisleby Primary School is surrounded by a number of illegal settlements whose occupants make up a majority of parents whose children learn at the school.
Most of these are unemployed widows and single mothers with no source of income.
They do not only lack means of survival, but the same community also sees no value in education, let alone afford its associated costs.
Running water is a scarce commodity in the area, which relies on the polluted Mazai River, which feeds off the Aisleby Waste Treatment Plants. With no access to public transport, learners have to walk at least 12 kilometres to and from school daily.
School teachers who do not live within the dilapidated farm compound also face the same predicament as the pick-up and drop-off point is 6km away from the school.
According to the recent council minutes, the director of housing and community services Mr Dictor Khumalo said over the years Aisleby had been posting bad results to the detriment of the learners at the farm and surrounding communities.
He said it is council's duty to provide quality inclusive 21st century education for all the residents of the city.
"One of the reasons why the school is posting unimpressive results is due to high staff turnover. Teachers walk more than five kilometres from the drop-off point to the school and when they get there, they would already be tired," Mr Khumalo.
"It is difficult to deliver quality service in such an environment. Some teachers board lifts twice to and from school daily and this is expensive hence they did not stay at the school for long."
As part of efforts to motivate the teachers, BCC is working on creating a conducive environment and availing accommodation for teachers at the farm compound.
Mr Khumalo said the few teachers staying at the farm compound houses, which are in a deplorable situation, pay rentals of US$20 per person.
"The department has requested that eight houses were ceded to the school by the City of Kings Business Unit which would be rehabilitated by our workshop and the teachers would not pay rent.
Mr Khumalo said his department has requested textbooks for the Competency-Based Curriculum for Grades 6-7 and other selected areas.
Aisleby's pass rate has remained lower than 20 percent for the past 10 years except in 2018 when it stood at 60,78 percent.
In last year's Zimsec Grade Seven National Examinations, Aisleby improved from zero percent to 13,3 percent.
Located about 7km from the Trenance suburb, Aisleby Primary School is surrounded by a number of illegal settlements whose occupants make up a majority of parents whose children learn at the school.
Most of these are unemployed widows and single mothers with no source of income.
They do not only lack means of survival, but the same community also sees no value in education, let alone afford its associated costs.
Running water is a scarce commodity in the area, which relies on the polluted Mazai River, which feeds off the Aisleby Waste Treatment Plants. With no access to public transport, learners have to walk at least 12 kilometres to and from school daily.
School teachers who do not live within the dilapidated farm compound also face the same predicament as the pick-up and drop-off point is 6km away from the school.
He said it is council's duty to provide quality inclusive 21st century education for all the residents of the city.
"One of the reasons why the school is posting unimpressive results is due to high staff turnover. Teachers walk more than five kilometres from the drop-off point to the school and when they get there, they would already be tired," Mr Khumalo.
"It is difficult to deliver quality service in such an environment. Some teachers board lifts twice to and from school daily and this is expensive hence they did not stay at the school for long."
As part of efforts to motivate the teachers, BCC is working on creating a conducive environment and availing accommodation for teachers at the farm compound.
Mr Khumalo said the few teachers staying at the farm compound houses, which are in a deplorable situation, pay rentals of US$20 per person.
"The department has requested that eight houses were ceded to the school by the City of Kings Business Unit which would be rehabilitated by our workshop and the teachers would not pay rent.
Mr Khumalo said his department has requested textbooks for the Competency-Based Curriculum for Grades 6-7 and other selected areas.
Source - The Chronicle
