…as Rwanda charms Zimbabwean teachers
Melinda Kusemachibi
On October 5, 2021, Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Teachers Day but Zimbabwean teachers said they had nothing to celebrate, as they accuse their employer of neglecting them and failing to offer a living wage aligned to the poverty datum line.
Teachers representative unions say government is not forthcoming and ignoring their pleas for a decent lifestyle.
In a statement, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said government is continuously turning a blind eye on the welfare of teachers in terms of health and safety amidst the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.
“Government has resisted the testing of pupils, teachers and ancillary staff before re-opening of schools thereby leading to the current quantum leap of Covid-19 cases in schools. Worse still, not a single teacher has benefitted from Covid-19 insurance of US$650 for infection and US$1000 for Covid-19 related death promised by government,” said Dr Zhou.
He also said that this year they were mourning the downfall of teaching as a profession that has left teachers unsettled facing a bleak future.
“As such, instead of celebrating the work of dedicated teachers around the world, we are mourning the demise of teaching profession, with monotonous regularity, from grace to grass. The constant attacks on teachers by education officials, threats of dismissal, government austerity measures and the evil of poverty have cumulatively created anxiety and uncertainty among teachers.
“Teachers are marking the 2021 World Teachers’ Day on empty stomachs, unable to pay school fees for their children, report for work due to incapacitation, wear decent clothes and live in homes with minimal comfort,” said Dr Zhou.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure concurred with Dr Zhou saying teachers in rural schools were living in sub-human conditions because their salaries are poor.
“It is sad to note that government continues to ignore teachers’ grievances. Teachers’ salaries have been eroded to less than 50% of the Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL) due to inflation and the rise in cost of living while some of the demands by teachers are basic welfare issues like housing.
“This has proven to be a great challenge especially for those stationed in rural areas who stay in sub-human conditions and are often exposed to risk due to the conditions they will be staying under,” said Masaraure.
In 2017, teachers were earning around US$450-520 but due to inflation, which has hit the local currency, they are now earning an equivalent of US$130-175 on the parallel market.
Meanwhile, speaking during the Rwanda-Zimbabwe Trade and Investment Expo, President of Rwanda Paul Kagame told the Zimbabwean delegation that Rwanda was keen to import Zimbabwean teachers.
“I think Zimbabwe can offer us good teachers, so please work on that with sense of urgency. Since this is what we said. Whatever number of quality teachers you find we can absorb because we need them urgently,” said Kagame.
However, a massive exodus may be looming if the deal materializes since many teachers are living from hand to mouth.
In 2008 the country witnessed a teacher exodus to South Africa after a political and economic crisis, and with the current socio-economic unrest, the Rwanda offer could be a push factor to yet another exodus.
This may have a negative impact on the country’s educational standards if quality teachers are snatched by Rwanda.
Internationally, it is reported that in developed countries teachers are highly paid compared to other workers with an average of US$100 000 annually.
