GOVERNMENT has started disciplinary hearings for teachers and school heads who did not report for duty or disrupted learning activities when schools opened last month.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said the
disciplinary action is part of efforts to bring back sanity and confidence in
the education sector.
Schools reopened on February 7 but teachers declared that
they were too incapacitated to report for duty. In some instances, it was
reported that teachers reported for duty, but did not conduct lessons or sent
pupils back home.
Last month, Treasury announced a 20 percent salary increase
for all civil servants plus an additional US$100 cash allowance, as well as
school fees allowance for teachers among other non-monetary benefits.
In a circular, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary
Education has directed all provincial education directors to charge teachers
who had not reported for duty since the start of the term.
“Please take appropriate action against the members. This
means that investigations should commence and where necessary misconduct
charges be preferred against the members. Provinces should conduct the
disciplinary actions as quickly as possible to avoid a situation where
suspension orders lapse before the completion of disciplinary processes,” reads
the circular.
The circular takes note that the Zimbabwe National
Association of School Heads openly defied the order by the Ministry of Primary
and Secondary Education permanent secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela who had
directed them to submit names of teachers who had not reported for duty.
In an interview, Primary and Secondary Education Ministry’s
communication and advocacy director Mr Taungana Ndoro said the disciplinary
hearings are standard procedure in line with any work place.
“This is the remedial action that we have always been
talking about; that when an employee or worker conducts themselves in a certain
manner the intention behind will be investigated.
So, we will be investigating members who did not report for
duty and this will be on a case-by-case basis. Every individual will have to
state their individual circumstances as to why they were not on duty,” said Mr
Ndoro.
“This is the procedure anywhere in the world where you
become answerable individually on your own alleged cases of misconduct.
Obviously if there are others who did not report for duty without good cause
they may have to face some penalties. That is what the circular is actually saying.”
He said there were instances where teachers reported for
duty but did not deliver their duties which includes conducting lessons,
providing homework, marking exercises and ensuring that there is discipline
within the school.
“This is part of the job description of our teachers and
there is also the job description of the head or any other education official.
Anybody who joins an organisation they have a job
description which they are supposed to abide by and flouting that job
description may result in one having to answer as to why they had deviated from
their job description,” he said.
Mr Ndoro said the ministry wants to restore confidence in
the country’s education system.
“There might be those with valid reasons, they may be
exonerated. And there are those who probably were just staying away and this is
in the public domain.
We want to continue to provide quality education for our
learners and also to reinstate public confidence for parents and stakeholders
alike about our education delivery system,” said Mr Ndoro.
“Because if we do not take action, it is as if that may
happen in subsequent terms without any action being done.
These actions are there to show that going forward we do
not expect anyone not to report for duty for reasons that are not valid
enough.”
Teachers’ unions have said they have taken note of the
scheduled disciplinary actions and will be taking action to protect their
members.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive officer Dr
Sifiso Ndlovu said it was their hope that teachers who had reported for duty by
February 22 were not going to be charged. Chronicle
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