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Unqualified teachers risk losing jobs

30 Mar, 2014 - 00:03 0 Views
Unqualified teachers risk losing jobs

The Sunday Mail

dokora

Cde Lazarus Dokora

Sunday Mail Reporter
Government has urged degreed teachers who do not have qualifications from recognised teachers’ colleges to further their studies and attain the Graduate Certificate in Education.Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora disclosed that Government is worried by the growing number of teachers who possess degrees but do not have certificates in education.

He warned that the degreed but unqualified teachers risk losing their jobs as Government moves to implement measures aimed at improving the education sector.

“There are several teachers who have gone to the classroom straight from the universities without passing through teachers’ colleges and as Government we are worried with this trend.

“We believe this trend is compromising our education system and we will be coming down on teachers who are practising without the CE,” said Cde Dokora.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu welcomed Government’s stance on unqualified teachers.

Mr Ndlovu, however, warned that there is need to ensure that adequate measures are put in place to cover the gap that will be created by the departure of the untrained teachers.

“What are we saying to the nation about how seriously we take our education when we deploy untrained teachers?
“We need to accelerate the production of qualified teachers because this worrying situation should not be allowed to persist,” said Mr Ndlovu.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe noted that untrained teachers are compromising the education sector.

He accused some education officers of corruptly employing their untrained relatives and friends as teachers.

“We should be able to categorise these teachers; there are untrained teachers who have the ability to teach though they never passed through a teacher’s college and these need to be retained.

“However, we have others who are in those positions because they are relatives of district education officers and these are not adding value at all,” he said.

Meanwhile, as part of measures aimed at improving the education sector, Cde Dokora disclosed that plans are underway to ensure that every district has a dedicated education planner.

“We are planning to train a minimum of 90 education planners so that every district will have a separate planner who is in charge of it.

“We believe this will help in addressing some of the challenges we are facing,” he said.

Government, in partnership with private players and donors, intends to construct 2 056 new schools across the country as well as rehabilitate satellite schools mostly located in areas where beneficiaries of the land reform programme are stationed.

 

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