Teachers have said they are not capacitated enough for the coming term and are calling on unions to organize job actions to compel their employer to review salaries and conditions of service.
They are demanding a minimum of USD 1 260 as monthly salary for teachers.
According to the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) the Government should formalize the incentive scheme for teachers to cap the amount paid in extra lessons.
ARTUZ says food should be distributed to both primary and secondary schools for the categories in need of food aid.
The teachers’ association said State should also scrap BEAM and introduce grants to be disbursed on equity bases.
ARTUZ statement on State of Preparedness for schools opening.
02 September 2024
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ conducted a survey on the state of preparedness for schools opening. The survey focused on the following pillars;
1. Learner preparedness
2. Teacher preparedness
3. School preparedness
The key findings are as follows;
Learner preparedness.
98.7% of parents and guardians in rural areas interviewed confessed that they do not have money to either pay school fees or secure learning materials. The majority of parents and guardians cited the Elnino induced as the major driver of the unavailability of resources. Learners from child headed families also indicated that will not be able to go back to school because of lack of basics including food.
In High density suburbs around 82.5% indicated that they will struggle to pay school fess. Some raised job losses as a driver of the poverty crisis. Those in the informal economy were complaining of low business returns in a depressed economy.
In low density suburbs around 35% of the interviewed parents and guardians were extremely worried that they fail to meet their education financial obligations.
Teacher preparedness.
Around 70% of teachers interviewed indicated that they are severely incapacitated because of underpayment. 30% of teachers managed to conduct paid extra lessons during the holidays and are looking forward to get some cushion from paid extra lessons as schools open.
School preparedness.
School finances.
The Basic Education Access Module, BEAM is at worst not disbursing funds to the schools and at best disbursing very little funds that do not meet the cost of running schools. Around 90% of learners in rural schools are in arrears of school fees, 75% in high density areas have some arrears and 22% of learners in low density areas are in arrears.
Schools are therefore struggling to pay for overheads and have no fiscal space to secure enough learning and teaching materials.
School feeding program
The Union noted that grain deliveries are being made across the country. Unfortunately, majority of schools are still to receive anything. Mashonaland Central and Manicaland have the highest number of schools that confirmed receiving grain deliveries. The Union will monitor distribution in a bid to enforce accountability in food distribution. The ARTUZ notes that the distributed grain is inadequate to meet the food needs of the drought ravaged schools.
Health
There is a M-Pox scare in Zimbabwe and on the continent. Schools have not initiated awareness programs to educate teachers, learners and communities about the disease and possible precautions. There is also need to communicate a plan of action in case the disease is detected at a school or in the community where it is located.
The third term has high cholera risks, the studies conducted by the union exposes gaps in terms of water and sanitation. The union will continue to monitor the water and sanitation situation in school and will raise alarms when learners if learners are exposed to cholera or other water borne diseases during the rainy season.
Recommendations
- Teacher Unions to organize Job Actions to compel employer to review salaries and conditions of service for teachers. A minimum of USD 1 260 as monthly salary for teachers.
- Government should formalize the incentive scheme for teachers to cap the amount paid in extra lessons.
- Food to be distributed to both primary and secondary schools for the categories in need of food aid.
- State to scrap BEAM and introduce grants to be disbursed on equity bases
- A moratorium on education fees for parents in need of support.
- Awareness campaign on M-Pox
- Investment in water and sanitation infrastructure.
- Ministry to allow schools to run a flexible calendar accommodating screaming crisis points.
- Government to introduce an education equalization fund.
- Devolvement of education management.
Zwnews
