TEACHERS across Zimbabwe have defied a government threat against educators conducting holiday lessons insisting that the practice is above board as there is no law prohibiting such.
This comes as some schools, including one run by the
police, are conducting holiday lessons for examination classes.
Government recently banned schools from conducting lessons
during the holiday in a circular dated March 25, 2024 saying pupils required a
break because learning during the first term was uninterrupted.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson
Taungana Ndoro told NewsDay that 0,001% of schools were in defiance of
government’s directive not to conduct holiday lessons.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education emphasises
the importance of compliance with the directive regarding the vacation school
during the April holiday,” Ndoro said.
“Schools that violate this directive may face appropriate
disciplinary measures. It is crucial to prioritise the well-being and
independent learning of pupils during this break.”
Ndoro said government was aiming for 100% compliance with
its directive.
He said: “The specific disciplinary measures for schools
that violate this directive will be determined by the Ministry of Primary and
Secondary Education. The ministry will assess each case individually and apply
the necessary disciplinary measures to ensure compliance with the directive and
uphold the well-being of the pupils.”
But teachers’ representatives vowed to take government
head-on if their members are victimised, arguing that it is not a criminal
offence to teach.
They also argued that the order was discriminatory as
elitist private schools were freely conducting extra lessons.
According to a circular seen by NewsDay, Sandon Academy, a
private school in Masvingo approved holiday lessons which are compulsory for
Form 3 to Form 6 learners than ran from March 28 to April 11, 2024.
The learners paid US$270 for the period.
Riverton Academy, another private school in Masvingo, will
begin its holiday lessons today, charging US$600 for three weeks for Forms 4
and 6 pupils.
NewsDay also established that Police Commissioner-General
Godwin Matanga approved holiday lessons for the Zimbabwe Republic Police High
School, which is located in Hatcliffe, Harare, which will be conducting holiday
lessons starting from April 4 to 15, 2024 and also April 19 to 30, 2024.
The ZRP is charging US$100 for internal learners and US$159
for external learners for the two-week periods.
Meanwhile, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe
secretary-general Raymond Majongwe has said teachers will challenge the ban.
“The most important question we are asking is: Why does
government want to criminalise good effort? No teacher is spending time with
learners to dampen their performance. Extra lessons are in good intent. Which
law criminalises teaching?” he asked rhetorically.
“Teachers are professionals and they are practising what
they trained for. Have we seen soldiers and cops being penalised for offering
their services privately? Why does government hate teachers so much?
“Government should tell us the law under which it is
banning holiday lessons. We are ready to
challenge whoever harasses teachers for practising their profession. Has
government been charged for failing to provide basics to schools as enshrined
in the Constitution?”
Zimbabwe National Union of School Heads secretary-general
Munyaradzi Majoni said government’s directive was contrary to parents’ desire
to improve the performance of their children in school.
“The ministry must not bark up at the wrong tree,” Majoni
said.
“No school has defied its order on vacation school
regardless of how irrational it (the order) obviously is.
“As school heads, we told the ministry that by banning
vacation school for candidates, it was obviously promoting the black market
version of the same.
“We know that parents are not comfortable having their
children who are candidates this year at home for 39 days and, hence, it is
those same parents who choose to send their children to those backyard and
unregistered private schools to access the necessary education which was banned
on the official market.
“As far as we know, no public school is involved in the
holiday lessons business and so they will find nothing if they visit these
schools.”
Zimbabwe Teachers Association secretary-general Goodwill
Taderera also said schools were in compliance with the holiday lessons ban.
“If there are any schools that are conducting holiday
lesson, it means they defied the government. But I don’t think there are public
schools that defied the order,” he said.
“Probably it’s the private schools or those unregistered
schools that are in defiance. But our position is, if there is a circular from
the ministry, then it should be adhered to.” Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment