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Zimbabwe's teacher shortage crisis worsens
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Zimbabwe's education sector is facing mounting pressure as the teacher-to-pupil ratio has climbed to an alarming 1:45-far above the recommended standard of one teacher for every 20 learners in early childhood classes and 40 in primary grades. The findings were revealed in a recent parliamentary report by the joint Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education and the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development.
The report, which paints a stark picture of the state of universal access to basic education, warns that the government's freeze on teacher recruitment has severely compromised the quality of learning in schools. According to the committee, the freeze has stalled the hiring of 8,000 teachers, with their appointments still awaiting Treasury approval.
"The teacher-pupil ratio is a crucial indicator of the quality of education in any country," the report reads. "Many schools are operating with overcrowded classrooms, often exceeding recommended limits, which compromises both the quality of education and teacher effectiveness."
In some urban districts like Mabvuku-Tafara-Epworth, classrooms are packed beyond capacity, and the situation has forced schools to adopt "hot-sitting" schedules, where pupils attend classes in shifts. This stop-gap measure has had a disproportionate impact on learners with disabilities, the report notes.
In rural areas, the challenges are even more acute. In Gwanda district, for instance, the committee found that teacher vacancies can go unfilled for up to three years after a teacher leaves or retires. The delivery of critical subjects such as science, mathematics, and agriculture has suffered, with those remaining in service burdened by high pupil numbers.
The shortage of accommodation for teachers is compounding the crisis. In many rural schools, housing is inadequate or dilapidated. At Mount Makomwe Primary School in Marange, 18 teachers are sharing seven houses, including communal restrooms and toilets. In other cases, teachers are forced to commute from nearby towns, arriving at school as late as 9 a.m., further affecting instructional time.
"It is practically impossible to recruit and retain talented instructors in rural locations due to a lack of adequate housing and amenities," the report said. Lawmakers warned that poor living conditions continue to drive teachers to urban centres in search of better facilities such as electricity and running water.
The committee has recommended that the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion immediately lift the hiring freeze and approve teacher recruitment by June 30, 2025. It also proposed that by March 2025, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education begin building new schools to decongest existing ones and ensure no learner travels more than five kilometres to school.
To improve learning outcomes, the report calls for broader community involvement in school feeding programmes, increased funding for digital infrastructure in rural schools, and expanded access to assistive learning materials for pupils with disabilities.
"The Ministry should assess current teacher accommodation needs and prioritise the construction and renovation of housing in rural areas to attract and retain qualified educators," the committee added.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) also weighed in on the crisis. Secretary-General Goodwill Taderera said some schools in urban areas have ballooned to over 2,000 pupils with as few as 21 classrooms-facilities originally designed to cater to just 500 learners.
"These schools are overwhelmed. Hot-sitting is no longer adequate. Education is being reduced to lip service, and this is why private schools are mushrooming, commoditising education, and exploiting parents without adequate regulation," he said.
Taderera further criticised the government's policy of exporting teachers to other countries, such as Rwanda, while local schools suffer from chronic shortages. "We are exporting trained professionals while failing to pay and retain our own teachers. It's unacceptable," he said.
As Zimbabwe grapples with an overstretched education system, the urgent call from both Parliament and education unions is clear: prioritise teacher recruitment, improve infrastructure, and restore dignity to the country's classrooms before the quality of education deteriorates further.
The report, which paints a stark picture of the state of universal access to basic education, warns that the government's freeze on teacher recruitment has severely compromised the quality of learning in schools. According to the committee, the freeze has stalled the hiring of 8,000 teachers, with their appointments still awaiting Treasury approval.
"The teacher-pupil ratio is a crucial indicator of the quality of education in any country," the report reads. "Many schools are operating with overcrowded classrooms, often exceeding recommended limits, which compromises both the quality of education and teacher effectiveness."
In some urban districts like Mabvuku-Tafara-Epworth, classrooms are packed beyond capacity, and the situation has forced schools to adopt "hot-sitting" schedules, where pupils attend classes in shifts. This stop-gap measure has had a disproportionate impact on learners with disabilities, the report notes.
In rural areas, the challenges are even more acute. In Gwanda district, for instance, the committee found that teacher vacancies can go unfilled for up to three years after a teacher leaves or retires. The delivery of critical subjects such as science, mathematics, and agriculture has suffered, with those remaining in service burdened by high pupil numbers.
The shortage of accommodation for teachers is compounding the crisis. In many rural schools, housing is inadequate or dilapidated. At Mount Makomwe Primary School in Marange, 18 teachers are sharing seven houses, including communal restrooms and toilets. In other cases, teachers are forced to commute from nearby towns, arriving at school as late as 9 a.m., further affecting instructional time.
"It is practically impossible to recruit and retain talented instructors in rural locations due to a lack of adequate housing and amenities," the report said. Lawmakers warned that poor living conditions continue to drive teachers to urban centres in search of better facilities such as electricity and running water.
To improve learning outcomes, the report calls for broader community involvement in school feeding programmes, increased funding for digital infrastructure in rural schools, and expanded access to assistive learning materials for pupils with disabilities.
"The Ministry should assess current teacher accommodation needs and prioritise the construction and renovation of housing in rural areas to attract and retain qualified educators," the committee added.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) also weighed in on the crisis. Secretary-General Goodwill Taderera said some schools in urban areas have ballooned to over 2,000 pupils with as few as 21 classrooms-facilities originally designed to cater to just 500 learners.
"These schools are overwhelmed. Hot-sitting is no longer adequate. Education is being reduced to lip service, and this is why private schools are mushrooming, commoditising education, and exploiting parents without adequate regulation," he said.
Taderera further criticised the government's policy of exporting teachers to other countries, such as Rwanda, while local schools suffer from chronic shortages. "We are exporting trained professionals while failing to pay and retain our own teachers. It's unacceptable," he said.
As Zimbabwe grapples with an overstretched education system, the urgent call from both Parliament and education unions is clear: prioritise teacher recruitment, improve infrastructure, and restore dignity to the country's classrooms before the quality of education deteriorates further.
Source - Newsday
