As government battles to contain growing civil unrest in the country, the nation’s biggest teachers’ union- Zimta- says its members will go on strike with effect from today, due to the worsening local economic rot. On their part, civil servants have demanded to be paid minimum of $1 700 a month.
Teachers warned that a strike was inevitable unless the government act fast to meet their demands to raise salaries from the current $500 to $3 000 per month among other demands.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu said the 3 000 teachers which government want to employ were too few considering that at least 20 000 new educators were needed to fill the existing gaps.
“Teachers must be employed as this is the right thing to do, but the figure is too low. There is very little excitement about this figure. We have a shortage of 19 000 teachers who need to be replaced according to the new curriculum. The pupil to teacher ratio is at 1:70 and sometimes goes up to 1: 101 in worst case scenarios. If we look at the budget it was not increased and is at a standstill,” Ndlovu said.
He said the teacher to pupil ratio must be reduced to 1:25 at infant, 1:30 at junior level.
The government on Monday announced that it will from tomorrow up to Thursday recruit 3 000 teachers in a bid to improve the teacher to pupil ratio as it moves to enhance the quality of education in schools.
Source: MbareTimescom
