Zimbabwe teachers refuse to ‘invigilate students they never taught’

As this year’s writing classes are set to sit for the impending public examinations expected to get underway in December, striking Zimbabwe teachers have vowed to defiantly snub their invigilation assignments, saying there is no way they can supervise the students ‘they never taught’.

Examination classes were the first to open for the Third Term on September 28 after a six-month Covid19-induced hiatus.

Yet, despite the much contested phased reopening of the country’s schools, most teachers have vowed to stay home, citing incapacitation and vulnerability to the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.

And, despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe Government raising the teachers’ monthly allowances from the paltry US$30 they have been getting since 2018, to an approximate US$180, the majority of the teachers have continued with their downing of tools.

According to the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, its members are not prepared to return to their workplaces which they say are ill-prepared to ensure the safety of the learners and themselves.

“For the record our members are not reporting for duty because they are incapacitated and scared of contracting corona virus,” said ARTUZ in comments posted on Twitter.

“We dont want to invigilate learners we never taught. We are focused on the #SaveOurEducationZW campaign to resolve crisis in the education sector,” wrote ARTUZ.

The restless teachers have perennially demanded the restoration of their pre-2018 salaries which were pegged at US$540.

Zwnews