Wednesday, 21 May 2025

15 000 TEACHERS QUIT

Teachers unions have revealed that they are overwhelmed by reports of teachers retiring early, amid revelations that at least 15 000 leave the sector each year due to poor working conditions.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president, Takavafira Zhou, yesterday said they had been receiving reports of teachers leaving or contemplating leaving the profession due to poor working conditions and low salaries that are being outpaced by an escalating cost of living.

“Yes, we have received such cases. What is most worrisome is the delay in processing retirement benefits for those who formally retire, with some even passing on before accessing retirement packages. The sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Combined Science and ICT (computers) are the most affected,” Zhou told NewsDay.

“The statistics for early retirement or any other form of retirement are very difficult to get. However, we are losing between 15 000 and 20 000 teachers per year through desertion. Statistics for this are computable because, apart from getting monthly provincial reports, the Salary Services Bureau also gives monthly indications of members whose dues cannot be deducted after leaving teaching.

“There is a general feeling that the government is deliberately fixing teachers for a crime best known by the employer. Many teachers have also been psychologically affected by the blame levelled against them, when they are doing so much with so little.”

He said there was little room for engagement with the government resorting to imposing things, such as curricula, “without appropriate educational taxonomy and prudence, let alone interoperability, standardisation, provision of learning and teaching materials”. Newsday

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