The Sunday Mail
Tanyaradzwa Rusike
SCHOOLS are recruiting untrained and unqualified teachers, while some educators are taking on subjects they did not specialise in during training, compromising the quality of education in the country, a probe by the Auditor-General has concluded.
An inquiry into the registration, supervision and monitoring of schools and independent colleges by Auditor-General Mrs Mildred Chiri established that there was inadequate inspection of schools by Government inspectors, which has affected standards at both public and private learning institutions.
An inefficient registration system for independent colleges was also leading to some institutions beginning operations before being fully registered in terms of the law.
The audit was commissioned by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in response to a public outcry on the sprouting of unregistered schools and the quality of education offered in the country.
The final report was submitted to Parliament last week.
“I observed that some schools and independent colleges were recruiting unqualified or untrained teachers. Also in some secondary schools, teachers were taking on subjects that they did not specialise in and there were also some misplaced teachers who were qualified to teach at secondary schools but were teaching at primary school,” reads the report.
“I noted that there were delays by the ministry in processing the applications for registration, re-registration and establishment of schools and independent colleges, contrary to set limits. As a result of these delays, there was sprouting of unregistered schools and colleges operating from unsuitable premises such as backyards and garages.”
Registered colleges were failing to remit annual registration and fees and there was little effort from the ministry to follow up on defaulters, the report added.
Enrolment in most schools was above recommended teacher-to-student ratio, leading to congestion in classes and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Ministry regulations require the student-to-teacher ratio to stand at 1:20 for ECD classes, 1:40 for Grade 1-7, 1:33 for Forms 1-2 and 1:30 for Ordinary Level classes.
“I also noted there was a shortage of school inspectors and this affected the monitoring and supervision of schools by the ministry.
“In some districts, I learnt that the district school inspectors were hiring the services of some of the headmasters in the respective districts to complement the number of inspectors.
“In addition, the quality of subject teacher supervision or inspection by school inspectors in secondary schools was compromised because inspectors were supervising subjects that they did not specialise in.”
The AG recommended the construction of more schools and efficient registration of independent learning institutions to prevent over-enrolment.
It was also recommended that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should engage the Public Service Commission and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for approval to fill vacant posts.
“The ministry needs to seriously look at the issue of recruitment of teachers in line with the subjects they specialise in, deployment and subject allocation of teachers, if the quality of education in the country is to be improved and ministry objectives are to be achieved as stated in the Education Act.
“Also, computerisation of the database of teachers per district may go a long way to help manage this situation of deployment and allocation of subjects.”
Sampling was conducted in Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Masvingo, Midlands, Bulawayo and Mashonaland West provinces.
