Zim urges striking teachers to return to work or face axe

"Where there may still be vacancies after 9 February such vacancies should be filled by engaging student teachers on teaching practice, retired teachers and other temporary teachers," Mahere said.

Thousands of Zimbabwean teachers went on strike demanding better working conditions, and lately remuneration in foreign currency as the new school term started on January 27, highlighting the country's deepening crisis.

Mahere, who two weeks ago directed school heads to take disciplinary action against teachers who failed to report for duty, expressed disappointment that critical time meant for student development was being lost due to lack of teaching at most schools.

"Given the importance of education to the development of the child and the importance of a strong bond between the teacher and learner, the education system cannot afford to lose anymore time," he said.

He said of concern was the low turnout of teachers at former Group B and council schools.

Mahere said government was aware of the teachers’ concerns and was doing everything possible to address the challenges.

He advised teachers experiencing specific challenges to approach their school heads or responsible authorities for assistance.

Very little learning took place at public schools in 2008 as teachers spent the better part of the year striking for more pay or sitting at home because they could not afford bus fare to work on their meagre salaries.

Political violence that swept across the country following the defeat of President Robert Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party in elections in March further disrupted learning, particularly in rural areas as teachers fled to the safety of urban areas.

The militant Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), one of two unions representing teachers in the country, has said it wanted the least paid teacher to earn US$2 200 per month, claiming that army generals and top government officials were being paid in hard cash.

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has also said it had since last October lobbied the government to pay teachers in US dollars because nearly every basic commodity or service provider is charging in hard cash.

Paying teachers in forex would also help stem a severe brain that has seen thousands of teachers leave the country for better paying jobs abroad, according to ZIMTA chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu.

Since schools opened on January 27 this year, attendance of both teachers and pupils has been low at most rural and high-density schools as most parents are failing to raise the required fees in foreign currency while some teachers have left the profession.

With its value eroded daily by the world's highest inflation of more than 231 million percent, the Zimbabwe dollar is nearly worthless, and both consumers and traders are increasingly shunning the currency in favour of hard cash.

A collapsed currency is the most visible sign of Zimbabwe's deepening economic and humanitarian crisis that is also seen in rising acute shortages of food and basic commodities, amid outbreaks of killer diseases such as cholera and anthrax.

The crisis has triggered a severe brain drain with thousands of skilled professionals, among them teachers, bankers, lawyers, doctors and engineers fleeing Zimbabwe to go abroad seeking better pay and living conditions.

The PTUZ said more than 35 000 teachers left the profession last year in search of greener pastures in neighboring countries, especially South Africa and Botswana.

The union says the country requires 150 000 qualified teachers for effective teaching but has plus or minus 75 000 teachers with nearly half of them untrained.

Zimbabweans hope a government of national unity between Mugabe, opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, who heads a breakaway faction of the MDC could pull the country from its crises.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) last week directed Zimbabwe's rival political parties to urgently form the unity government, ordering that outstanding issues be dealt with between the parties' negotiators before a unity government is put in place by February 13. – ZimOnline