…..threaten to boycott lessons when schools open
Rutendo Chirume
Teachers have come up with new demands, adding exemption of their children from paying school fees to the list of teacher remuneration citing low salaries.
They also threatened to not show up at respective stations on February 7 when schools open.
Teachers received their salaries on January 18 but have complained that they are already bankrupt because the ZW $ 30 000 salary barely cover their expenses with a food basket of an average family of six costing ZWL$ 36 000 per month.
Pride Muchiruka, an Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher at a local school bemoaned the level at which teachers have been reduced saying that at least government should pay fees for all teachers’ children since they are being under paid.
“My father was a teacher and I never ran out of anything. Other pupils used to envy us, but now I cannot say the same for my kids. If government caters for our children’s school fees, it will be much better since they cannot give us enough money. I have two children both in primary school, but I am not able to pay for their school fees with the salary hence I am forced to do part time jobs to supplement my salary,” said Muchiruka.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou gave Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE) 10 days to consider teachers’ plight and declared that their members will not turn up for the opening of schools as they cannot afford to teach other people’s kids while theirs will be at home due to incapacitation.
“We are not telling our members any message but rather they are telling us as leaders. They want to be exempted from paying school fees for their children at all government owned-schools. None of us are able to pay for school or college fees for our dependents. It does not make sense that government expects our members to teach other people’s children while ours are at home. Teachers are not ready. Government must address their salaries and conditions of service before opening schools. The restoration of the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries to US$540 is long overdue and so is the implementation of an array of education sector-specific allowances agreed to over the past five years,” said Zhou.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said the exemption of teachers from paying school fees is long overdue and should be implemented immediately if government wants to see teachers returning to classrooms.
“The exemption of teachers’ children at all government owned schools is long overdue and that alone will not be able to take our teachers back to classrooms, but would at least lessen the burden since salaries are too low. The schools’ calendar was released but teachers will not be there to deliver lessons, even most pupils will not be there because many parents may not be able to pay school fees and other required learning instruments due to the financial and economic hardships in the country. Therefore, all teachers under the ARTUZ banner and rest of teachers around the country resolved not to attend any lessons if government refuses to address our grievances,” said Masaraure.
Contacted for comment MoPSE director of communications Taungana Ndoro said the call for strike by teachers is not new to the ministry as they are now used to such kind of messages.
“I do not have any comment on the exemption of teachers’ children from paying fees, but as for the issue of strike, we always hear that towards opening of schools. Teachers always say they will strike,’’ said Ndoro.
Primary and secondary schools are set to open on February 7, 2022.
