Zimbabwewide teacher recruitment drive begins

Government will tomorrow launch a nationwide teacher recruitment drive across all 10 provinces to address staffing gaps in public schools, following the release of funding by Treasury.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has indicated that it plans to recruit 3 000 teachers during the first quarter of the year, with the new posts arising from a nationwide assessment of staffing needs completed last month.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo announced the development during the Senate's question-and-answer session on Thursday. He said provinces had submitted their staffing requirements by February 10.

"We wrote to all the provinces asking them for the numbers of teachers they need from all the 10 provinces. They responded before February 10, meaning that on Monday, March 2, 2026, we will start recruiting," he said.

Minister Moyo confirmed that Treasury had availed the necessary resources to facilitate the recruitment process countrywide. He urged teachers who had previously left the profession to apply for reinstatement through the ministry and the PSC, adding that priority was being given to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

"Right now, we are taking those who are returning, but we have been prioritising the STEM subjects," he said. "Once they write their letters and are recommended to come back, we offer them employment again."

He also said trained teachers who had completed their studies but were not yet employed would be considered in the exercise.

Zimbabwe National Union of School Heads secretary Munyaradzi Majoni welcomed the move, describing it as a positive development for schools seeking to improve learning outcomes and pass rates. He noted that while some schools had previously requested specialists in areas such as ICT, the adoption of the Heritage-Based Curriculum had shifted staffing priorities, with school heads now tasked with rationalising their personnel.

Minister Moyo said Government was moving to ensure that all schools adopt the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC) in line with Section 63 of the Constitution. He revealed that a Bill had been presented to Cabinet proposing that all learning institutions, including private schools, implement the Heritage-Based Curriculum as the primary framework.

Under the current system, Government, council and church schools offer the Heritage-Based Curriculum, while Association of Trust Schools and independent colleges mainly follow the Cambridge curriculum, and international schools offer the International Baccalaureate.

The minister said schools wishing to continue offering Cambridge would be allowed to do so as an option, provided they first seek approval from the Permanent Secretary and outline how they intend to implement both curricula. The Heritage-Based Curriculum, he stressed, would remain the primary framework.

He expressed concern that some institutions no longer teach Zimbabwean history and indigenous languages such as Shona, Ndebele, Kalanga, Shangani and Tonga. While emphasising that international languages such as French and Chinese were important, Minister Moyo said preserving national identity and heritage was equally critical.

The recruitment drive and curriculum reforms form part of broader efforts to strengthen the education system and align it with constitutional and national development objectives.