Funding delays teacher recruitment in Zimbabwe

The government's ambitious plan to recruit 8,000 new teachers to address Zimbabwe's critical teacher-to-student ratio has hit a major snag, with delays in the disbursement of funds from the Treasury stalling progress.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, which had already laid out recruitment strategies and deployment frameworks, is now in limbo as it awaits financial support from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

According to sources within the education sector, 4,000 posts were approved for recruitment earlier this year, with an additional 4,000 scheduled for the second half of 2025. However, not a single batch has been finalized due to a lack of financial allocation to cover salaries and onboarding logistics.

"We are ready to roll out the recruitment, but we cannot move forward without the necessary budgetary support," said a senior official in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, speaking on condition of anonymity. "This delay undermines the progress we're trying to make in improving the quality of education, particularly in rural and under-resourced schools."

The delays come at a time when Zimbabwe's public schools are struggling with a chronic teacher shortage. Some rural schools have reported student-to-teacher ratios exceeding 70:1, a scenario that education experts warn is unsustainable and detrimental to learning outcomes.

The situation is especially dire in remote provinces such as Matabeleland North, Masvingo, and parts of Mashonaland Central, where infrastructure is already stretched and pass rates are alarmingly low. In contrast, urban schools, though overcrowded, fare relatively better due to better access to resources and staff.

"The government's recruitment drive is not just about numbers — it's about equity," said education policy analyst Noreen Mhlanga. "We have thousands of qualified but unemployed teachers, and yet students are learning in overcrowded classrooms with one teacher covering several grades. The longer this funding delay continues, the wider the learning gap becomes."

Improving access to quality education is a cornerstone of Zimbabwe's National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which targets inclusive education and human capital development as critical pillars for attaining upper-middle-income status by 2030. The teacher recruitment plan is seen as a critical intervention to boost literacy levels, improve exam pass rates, and support the rollout of the updated curriculum.

"We cannot achieve Vision 2030 without addressing the foundational gaps in our education system," said Mhlanga. "This begins with ensuring every child has access to a qualified teacher."

The Ministry of Finance has yet to issue a public explanation for the delayed disbursements. Insiders suggest that fiscal pressures, including competing demands from civil service wage negotiations and capital expenditure, may have complicated the release of funds.

Meanwhile, teachers' unions have expressed concern over the delay, noting that many qualified educators remain unemployed despite the shortages. Some have urged the government to prioritize education funding to safeguard the future of the country's youth.

With the third school term approaching, education stakeholders fear that further delays could lead to learning disruptions, continued teacher burnout, and widening performance disparities between well-resourced and under-served schools.

Unless Treasury unlocks the necessary funding soon, thousands of hopeful educators may remain on the sidelines — and Zimbabwe's students, especially those in rural areas, will continue to bear the brunt of an overstretched and underfunded system.