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The decision by Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora to ban incentives and extra lessons divided opinion among the public. Some were vociferous in their support for the bans, saying parents had no business paying incentives to teachers who were employed by the government. Others saw nothing wrong with incentives and extra lessons as they motivated teachers to give it their all in the execution of duty.

The minister’s argument in banning incentives was that parents were already hard pressed and the extra payment created inequalities as some parents, especially those in rural schools and high density areas could not afford to give incentives to teachers.

It’s an issue that refuses to die. In a story carried in our sister paper Sunday News yesterday, School Development Associations at Roman Catholic run schools were said to be seeking an exemption to be allowed to pay incentives to their teachers.

Last week, the country’s top cop, Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, was quoted on ZBC urging Dr Dokora to allow schools to hold extra lessons during holidays, saying their ban was having an adverse effect on results.

Dr Dokora should not ignore the pertinent arguments being forwarded by those advocating for the restoration of incentives and extra lessons.
We believe the minister might have over stepped his mandate when he imposed the blanket ban. If parents are willing and can afford to pay incentives, then the government should not intervene in such an arrangement.

Zimbabweans value education and most parents have no problems paying for extra lessons and are prepared to forego some luxuries to get the best education for their children. Many are clandestinely paying for extra lessons despite the ban. Why then should the minister feel for parents who are able to pay for extra lessons?

The time has come for the Minister to rethink his stance. We believe that since schools are run by SDCs, if a committee at a particular school decides to give incentives, then there should be no interference from the ministry.

SDCs are democratic institutions where decisions are taken by the majority hence we believe that if the majority of parents say they want to give incentives and have extra lessons, so be it.

In the same vein, if the majority of parents reject incentives and extra lessons, then their decisions should be respected.
The argument that teachers in rural areas and poorer communities are disadvantaged by incentives is not valid. Life has never been equal.

In rural areas most schools have no access to electricity, piped water and other social amenities. Is the ministry also going to ban the use of modern conveniences in towns because none exist in rural areas?

When the country’s top cop, who is supposed to arrest offenders, starts asking about wisdom of the ban of extra lessons, maybe the powers that be should also start doing the same. Now that the Commissioner General has expressed his reservations, will police arrest teachers who offer extra lessons?

There is no shame in the minister admitting that his policy was wrong in the first place and modifying it to suit the needs of parents and their children. The government should allow those schools able to pay incentives to do so while those who cannot afford should not be forced.