News / Local
Non-Ndebele teachers concerns persist
25 Sep 2015 at 15:49hrs | Views
THE issue of the increasing number of non-Ndebele teachers in Matabeleland schools was back in Parliament this week as concerns over the matter persist. The Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavima faced fresh questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday over the matter that some parents have said has contributed to low pass rates .
Matabeleland South proportional representative legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi posed hard questions to Prof Mavima during parliament's question and answer session.
"I would like to pose a question especially coming to the issue of teachers that are sent to Matabeleland. You send teachers who are not fluent in the local language like Ndebele, why are you doing that? Also looking at Matabeleland, the other issue is not just on Science only, and not only on teachers who are deployed in the southern region Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North or even Binga. Why is it that you send teachers who are not fluent in the local language? Why is it that you send teachers who are only fluent in Shona because this is a problem especially to children who are being taught in a language that they are not familiar with?" asked Misihairabwi-Mushonga.
The Deputy Minister, whom people from the region say has not given convincing answers on the matter previously, said he understood the MP's question to be "a general question" but the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda would not have none of that. "Hon Minister, it's not general. Teachers deployed to Matabeleland are not conversant with the local language there. That is the question," said the Speaker.
In response, Prof Mavima said the deployment of teachers is guided by the need for a specific teacher.
He said it is not only the Matabeleland region that receives people who may not be conversant with the language spoken in that area. "So there is a possibility that a Geography teacher who is not conversant in Chindau, for example, who may be Ndebele or who may be Tonga may find themselves in Chipinge or a Physics teacher who may not be conversant in Shona may find themselves in Dotito," he said.
"The demand depends on the specific subject area. Where we have done a specific intervention as far as languages are concerned is in the infant school, where we are saying teachers in the infant school should be conversant with the mother tongue of the people that are being taught."
Matabeleland South proportional representative legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi posed hard questions to Prof Mavima during parliament's question and answer session.
"I would like to pose a question especially coming to the issue of teachers that are sent to Matabeleland. You send teachers who are not fluent in the local language like Ndebele, why are you doing that? Also looking at Matabeleland, the other issue is not just on Science only, and not only on teachers who are deployed in the southern region Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North or even Binga. Why is it that you send teachers who are not fluent in the local language? Why is it that you send teachers who are only fluent in Shona because this is a problem especially to children who are being taught in a language that they are not familiar with?" asked Misihairabwi-Mushonga.
The Deputy Minister, whom people from the region say has not given convincing answers on the matter previously, said he understood the MP's question to be "a general question" but the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda would not have none of that. "Hon Minister, it's not general. Teachers deployed to Matabeleland are not conversant with the local language there. That is the question," said the Speaker.
In response, Prof Mavima said the deployment of teachers is guided by the need for a specific teacher.
He said it is not only the Matabeleland region that receives people who may not be conversant with the language spoken in that area. "So there is a possibility that a Geography teacher who is not conversant in Chindau, for example, who may be Ndebele or who may be Tonga may find themselves in Chipinge or a Physics teacher who may not be conversant in Shona may find themselves in Dotito," he said.
"The demand depends on the specific subject area. Where we have done a specific intervention as far as languages are concerned is in the infant school, where we are saying teachers in the infant school should be conversant with the mother tongue of the people that are being taught."
Source - The Chronicle
