Caiphas Chimhete, Kholwani Nyathi and Zvipo Muzambi
30 September 2007
THOUSANDS of children across the country, mostly in rural areas, might not write their final examinations after several schools failed to re-open for the third term following mass desertion by teachers protesting against poor pay.
The crisis deteriorated last week when teachers staged a full-scale strike demanding better salaries. Others quit altogether.
It emerged most teachers were holed up in their homes, waiting for the outcome of negotiations between the government and their two unions.
These are the Zimbabwe Teachers' Association (ZIMTA) and the radical Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ).
Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Grade VII examinations start on Monday next week, with "O" levels expected to begin a week later.
There are also fears that the examinations will be postponed or written under unsuitable conditions.
"For those schools that managed to reopen, there will be a shortage of invigilators to supervise the examinations," warned the official. "We are not talking about children who will face these tests unprepared."
A snap survey by The Standard showed that several schools were manned by skeleton staff.
Mzingwane High School in Matabeleland South - scorer of best "O" and "A" level results in the country a number of times - is still searching for teachers.
Last week, it had seven vacancies in History, Physics, Mathematics, Management of Business, Accounting, Biology and Computers for "A" Level classes.
Several schools are also flighting advertisements on a daily basis for teachers half way through the third term.
Some schools had virtually no teachers and students were seen loitering around the school premises, like sheep without a shepherd.
Manunure High School in the Midlands Province, which had 100 teachers at the beginning of this term, now has only 40.
An administration source said five mathematics teachers were failing to cope with 2 500 students.
"By the end of this term there will be virtually no one here," said the teacher. "I also intend to go to Botswana to look for a job."
At Kambuzuma High School, Warren Park and Harare Girls' High School, students said many teachers had not reported for work over the past week.
In some schools, there were only senior teachers, who spent most of their time selling sweets, biscuits, and popcorn to supplement their salaries.
It has become common to see students in uniform wandering around Harare and Bulawayo central business districts during lesson time.
Some students have since stopped going to school altogether.
But enterprising students have formed "study groups" to prepare for their final examinations. They conduct their studies at school premises and in home as the crisis deepens.
"We have not had teachers for the greater part of this term. This is why we formed this group," said Abel Mungate, a Form IV student at a high school in Glen View, Harare.
Some teachers, who have stopped teaching, have started their own "schools" in their homes where they tutor pupils in different subjects for a fee.
In Kamubuza high-density suburb, there are more than four such schools but it is not everybody who can afford the fees - between $300 000 and $500 000 a month for a student. This is higher than government fees for a whole term.
Some schools haved considered asking parents to pay teachers "additional salaries", a system operating in private schools.
"It is not official yet but we intend to take it up for consideration," said a headmaster, who refused to be named. "The current situation is really pathetic. Teachers are continuing to leave the country and those that have remained no longer teach because of the poor salaries."
One parent with a child at Tamuka Primary School in Seke said they had started the system in a bid to retain teachers.
"We are already paying for our children's teachers. The government has totally compromised the quality of our education," said a parent at the school.
ZIMTA officials in Matabeleland North and South, hardest hit by the teacher shortage because of their proximity to the neighbouring countries, said an average of five schools a district had not reopened for the third term.
"In Tsholotsho alone I can count Lihumbe, Dibutibu, Mathula and Bhayana where there is not a single teacher," said the ZIMTA official. "We are still assessing the situation throughout Matabeleland North but a similar pattern is emerging in all the seven districts. The authorities must be alerted to this crisis."
The government has refused to award teachers salaries pegged to the poverty datum line (PDL) as the teachers demanded.
Since the beginning of this term in September, teachers have been on a go-slow which escalasted into a full-blown job last week after the government failed to address their demands.
The least paid teacher averages $2.8 million a month. The unions have turned down a government offer of $7.9 million for the lowest paid, saying this would not make a difference, as it is well below the PDL: $16 million.
The teachers are demanding a minimum of $18 million a month, transport allowances of $8 million, housing allowances of $6 million.
PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said State security agents were harassing and intimidating teachers but the "struggle" would not be derailed.
Acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture, Zipora Muzenda, said she was not aware there was a countrywide teachers' strike.
But when given the names of schools that are as good as closed, Muzenda changed her tack: "What I have said is not the ministry position, fax your questions but I can't guarantee that you will get a response today."
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