Govt to address shortage of teachers Minister Prisca Mupfumira
Minister Prisca Mupfumira

Minister Prisca Mupfumira

Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT will conclude talks to recruit teachers in the next two weeks following a request made to Treasury to address the shortage of manpower in schools.

The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Prisca Mupfumira, said while job rationalisation continues in the civil service, it was important for Government to address the acute shortage of teachers.

She said her Ministry had engaged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to map the way forward on the recruitment of teachers.

“Job rationalisation in the civil service will continue as Government employs strategies to improve the economy. However, we have a challenge in the education system as our schools are faced with a serious shortage of teachers.

“We have since engaged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the CSC to discuss the way forward. This will be concluded in the next two weeks and Government will be able to give a position on the recruitment of teachers,” said Minister Mupfumira.

Last year, Government froze recruitments and promotions in the civil service as part of a staff rationalisation exercise following an audit by the CSC.

The freezing of posts was followed by the abolishment of more than 8 000 posts in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development in a move meant to reduce the Government’s wage bill which stood at $200 million per month.

However, Government has said more than 11 000 teachers are required to improve the quality of education in the country.

According to the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), there are about 25 000 unemployed teachers in the country.

Most of the unemployed teachers in the country are reportedly flocking mostly to Namibia and South Africa in search of jobs.

@pamelashumba1

You Might Also Like

Comments