Teachers defy government...vow to continue with extra lessons

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has vowed to defy a government directive barribg them from conducting extra lessons.

Through a Twitter post on Tuesday, PTUZ said, "Teachers will continue to engage in paid for extra lessons if hired by parents, on a willing-buyer willing-seller basis until there is a written law on extra lessons, not mere statements conjured for the purposes of intimidating teachers and parents who need their children taught."

The organization was responding to Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Taungana Ndoro's interview with online publication CITE where he said paid-for-extra lessons were now illegal.

Teachers will continue to engage in paid for extra lessons if hired by parents, on a willing-buyer willing-seller basis until there is a written law on extra lessons, not mere statements conjured for the purposes of intimidating teachers and parents who need their children taught

— PTUZ_Official (@ProgressiveOf) April 26, 2022

"We have a problem of teachers who are not teaching when schools are open and then they tell learners to come for paid-for extra lessons in order to cover the syllabus. Parents would have paid fees but get a raw deal," Ndoro told the publication. "Now that is corruption and ZACC will deal with them spokesperson, adding that "parents are very good whistle-blowers and would alert us."

Teachers are accused of charging between US$5 and US$10 per subject every for extra lessons.