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Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) has called on the government to consider conducting an infrastructure audit in schools to assess and improve teaching and living conditions within the institutions.

Zimta president, Richard Gundane, also said the government should put closure to the nationwide head-count and start concentrating on auditing infrastructure in the country’s schools.

He said it was important for both pupils and teachers to be provided with a learning and teaching environment with requisite tools and remuneration that promote the education sector.

“We’re tired of audits of people. We now want the government to do an audit of infrastructure in schools because most teachers, especially in the rural areas are not happy with the living conditions that they’re exposed to. Teachers have needs out there and they must be addressed by the government,” said Gundane, while addressing teachers during the belated World Teachers’ Day commemorations in Filabusi on Friday.

“If the government can afford to conduct a national audit of civil servants, it should also afford to assess whether its workers have adequate infrastructure because it’s a vital component of development. We’re therefore calling on the government to prioritise the assessment of the infrastructure in our schools and provide decent infrastructure not only for the teachers but also for school children.”

Gundane, who is also president of the Apex Council, which represents all civil servants in the country said it was the duty of the government to make sure that its workers were comfortable wherever they are deployed so that they are able to execute their duties according to the employer’s expectations.

He said it was also the duty of teachers to ensure that they are fully equipped academically for their jobs.

He said his association was committed to working with the government in developing, strengthening and implementing profession teaching standards.

“Zimta echoes its call to empower teachers in order to build a sustainable society by addressing challenges that beface our education sector. We will double our efforts in working with the government to establish a regulatory framework under the banner of the Teaching Profession Council,” said Gundane.

He also called on the government to come up with strategies to grow the economy and stop giving excuses when required to pay its workers their dues.

In a speech read on his behalf by Luxon Zanamwe, the acting Matabeleland South deputy provincial director for junior schools, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said teachers were critical in any transforming economy.

“Teachers are not only a means to implementing education goals, but are the key to sustainable development. They are critical to any transforming economy. To date just over 2, 500 teachers are on teacher capacity development programme and this will certainly improve the quality of education delivery,” he said.

“A further 2, 500 teachers are expected to be selected for another programme in December at different universities. As the government and in line with Zim Asset, it is our firm belief that human resource development is a key component in quality education.”