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Mr Richard Gundane

Sharon Chiware, Midlands Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) has said lack of resources to implement the new curriculum is forcing some of the teachers to use their own money to buy the required educational materials.

The new curriculum was introduced in January and transitional classes: Early Childhood Development A, Grade One, Grade Three, Form One, Form Three and Lower Six are the ones implementing the curriculum this year.

Zimta president Mr Richard Gundane said teachers who are implementing the new curriculum are facing huge challenges due to lack of resources.

He said teachers in rural areas were the most affected.

Mr Gundane said the $9 million which the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Lazarus Dokora said Government had availed in May to implement the new curriculum, had not reached schools.

Dr Dokora was not immediately reachable for comment yesterday.

However, Mr Gundane said even if it is availed, the $9 million was inadequate given the resources required for the new curriculum.

“Teachers need books  among other materials in order to effectively implement the new curriculum,” he said.

Mr Gundane said the situation was worsened by parents’ failure to pay fees and most of those that could not afford to pay the fees were in rural areas.

He said as such some teachers were being forced to use personal money to buy the required materials.

“Some of the teachers are using their own money to access material from the internet which they then use to teach the pupils,” he said.

Mr Gundane said school heads appreciate the challenges that their teachers are facing and therefore should be given the responsibility of monitoring the implementation of the new curriculum and not the schools inspectors as is the case now.

He said Government must also review the allowances for rural teachers as they are inadequate given the obtaining economic environment.

@sharonchiware1