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June 30 deadline for submission of certificates

Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
ABOUT 5,000 teachers risk being struck off the government payroll for failure to submit certificates from training institutions soon after graduation.

It is a legal requirement that upon appointment, every teacher should submit their certificate before joining the Public Service.

The affected teachers have three weeks to submit their certificates.

A majority of the teachers are said to be failing to collect their certificates from teacher training institutions because they owe fees.

Public Service Commission secretary Pretty Sunguro sent a circular dated April 16 to all schools, ordering teachers who have not submitted their certificates to do so not later than June 30.

“Please, be advised that it’s a legal requirement that an appointment is made upon submission of proof of qualifications subject to satisfying other set criteria like satisfactory medical examination and vetting report,” reads the circular.

“The Commission has noted that some graduates from various Teacher Training Colleges who joined the Public Service have not submitted their certificates to the Salary Service Bureau following their graduation. Appointments were being made without grading.”

Sunguro urged schools to facilitate the submission of the certificates as affected teachers would be removed from the pay sheet.

Sunguro said in future all graduates from teacher training colleges were directed to submit certificates not later than one month after graduation.

An official from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said about 5,000 teachers countrywide were affected.

“Most of the affected are young teachers trained between 2009 and 2015 who have not collected their certificates from teacher training colleges after graduation,” said the official.

Matabeleland North provincial education director Boithatelo Mnguni said the order by the Public Service Commission was a good reminder for some teachers who after being appointed forget to submit their certificates.

“I don’t have the actual number of affected teachers from my province but we wish SSB would have given us a list. We’re also checking our files but I feel this is a good push as some submit transcripts and letters from colleges but soon after appointment, they relax and forget they should submit their original certificates,” said Mnguni.

Bulawayo Province PED Dan Moyo and Matabeleland South PED Tumisang Thabela echoed the same sentiments and urged graduate teachers to submit their certificates on time.

Teachers who spoke to The Chronicle said they were forced to approach loan sharks as they owed colleges large sums of money.

“I can’t collect my certificate because I owe Hillside Teachers College about $1,500. I can’t raise that money at such short notice. I’ve to approach loan sharks to get it,” said the teacher, who cannot be named for professional reasons.

“This means for the next four months I would have to work for the loan shark to repay the loan.”

Another teacher who identified himself as Ndlovu said he was on the cadetship programme and his certificate was still held up by the college as government had not settled his outstanding fees.

He said:

“The government through the cadetship programme, was supposed to cover the debts but it has failed which means people are supposed to source funds to save their jobs.

The most affected teachers were on cadetship and their diploma certificates are still held up at the teachers’ colleges. We’re appealing to government to assist us as we might not be able to beat the deadline.”

Higher and Tertiary Education Deputy Minister Godfrey Gandawa dismissed the claims that teachers on the cadetship programme could not access their certificates.

“The government pays tuition fees for those on the cadetship programme and they are responsible for other fees such as accommodation and any other levies, which means the debt they would have incurred is not emanating from tuition fees but other expenses,” said Gandawa.

Gandawa said his ministry would look into the matter and engage the Public Service Commission if there are cadetship beneficiaries affected.