Speaking during the graduation of over 500 students at Mkoba Teachers College, Dyanda said that teachers in Zimbabwe were the product of a great commitment by educators in the 80s and the 90s.
We are at the top because some people taught without making demands, she said.
Over the past decade teachers who complain over low salaries have been forcing parents to pay them incentives. This has resulted in children dropping out of school or being expelled – even if they have paid the government stipulated tuition.
Who are you to demand top ups? As you go out there I would like you to feel guilty as professionals if you try to collect money from parents. You teach students in the first place before you demand incentives, she said.
Some teachers, especially in urban areas, have become so obsessed with the incentives that as soon as schools open students have to pay first for the teachers bus fares before they are admitted to class. We must work out to exorcise demons that are robbing our children of their education. We are a product of an independent Zimbabwe and we would like to make sure that the trend continues, said Dyanda.
More than 500 teachers were given their diplomas at the event. Teaching – one of the most noble professions in the early years of independence – is no longer revered.
Beneath the pomp and fanfare of the ceremony, many graduates were glum because of poor salaries and widespread harassment and political persecution at the hands of Zanu (PF) cadres.
I am happy that I graduated but at the same time sad because the government is not paying us well and teachers are not protected from abuse by political parties. A teacher is no longer respected in the society and these days when you ask children what they would like to do when they grow up you hardly here any saying that I would like to be a teacher because society has demeaned our profession, said one graduate.
Although the Inclusive Government has breathed some life into the sector, experts say it will take years to restore the it to the glory days of the eighties.
Soon after independence, many students hoped to be Teachers. Today their parents discourage them for even the unemployed fare better than teachers amid the politics of intimidation.
In rural areas we are worse off as we do not get the incentives as our colleagues in urban areas. The government should look into these imbalances – for without such motivation there is no point in getting serious with the profession, said another graduate.
When schools reopened last week, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said interference of teachers, politicisation of meetings, bullying and general persecution of teachers was rampant.
Too many centres of power in the running of schools have corroded the headmasters executive authority. Chiefs, headmen, village heads, councillors, youth officers and activists are all giving directions to our headmasters. The disciplinary machinery is being abused to settle scores between teachers and authorities. Our members who have exposed corruption and mismanagement by school authorities have suffered a backlash through misconduct and criminal
defamation charges, said PTUZ President Takavarasha Zhou.
Post published in: News