‘Teachers must know 3 languages to be employable’

Teachers must be conversant in at least three indigenous languages by the time they finish their training for them to be employable, The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has revealed.

Principal Director of Curriculum Development and Technical Devices John Dewa said:

“Since learners are supposed to learn in their mother’s language in the first four years of their education, the ministry requires a trained primary school teacher to know at least three indigenous languages because that will be the medium of instruction … from the 16 official languages it is possible”

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said government was going it alone  without consulting the relevant stakeholders.

“Somebody is trying to be clever here. The government is trying to solve the current problem in the country without involving all stakeholders. If government decides to go it alone without stakeholders it will not work … it will be difficult to implement,”