Schools in crisis as teachers resign and head South

By Tererai Karimakwenda
09 October, 2007

The deal for Z$14 million salaries agreed to by government and leaders of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) last week has failed to convince teachers to go back to work. Union officials prematurely called off the strike which is threatening to disrupt the grade 7 and O level exams that start this week. The strike has now turned into a permanent stay-away due to many teachers taking sick leave and looking for better opportunities outside the country. Some schools are reported to have closed following the resignation of hundreds of teachers in the last two weeks. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) reportedly said that at least 15,200 teachers have left for neighbouring states so far this year. Many schools are being manned by temporary teachers and parents are concerned about the quality of education their children are receiving.
Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said it has become extremely difficult to find replacements because of the salary issue. Adverts for mathematics and science teachers in South Africa and the prospect of better salaries are attracting qualified teachers from Zimbabwe. Firoz Patel, director-general for planning in South Africa's education department, reportedly said they needed to recruit at least 4,000 math and science teachers by April 2008.
Muchemwa said Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Education is forcing teachers to find replacements if they want their sick leave approved, but there are no takers because the salary remains below the poverty datum line.

Schools most affected are those in the rural areas where teachers have to board buses at Z$ 100,000 per trip while the salaries remain at Z$ 1,5 million. Headmasters have been ordered to recruit from their local areas to avert imminent disaster.

Muchemwa said there are a lot of vacancies in the civil service in general. He visited the magistrate’s court in Harare last week and reports that there is a serious shortage of magistrates, prosecutors and interpreters.

More professionals are likely to leave Zimbabwe this year as the economic deterioration continues. The government’s stop gap measures do not address the more serious underlying issues that are the result of its own policies. Experts say the broader political crisis is what needs to be dealt with in order for the situation to change.