Government to scrap teachers’ incentives

Sunday Mail
By Itai Mazire
22 November 2009

Government will soon scrap teachers’ incentives in a move to stamp out corruption in schools and reduce rising tensions between teachers and parents.

Education, Art, Sports and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart said in an interview last week the incentives had created inequalities in the education system.
“Parents in rural schools are failing to pay levies, resulting in the teaching staff not receiving incentives,” he said.

“On the other hand, the majority of urban parents pay levies and these teachers benefit, causing unfair treatment of both parties in the system.”

The Government early this year allowed schools to offer teachers 10 percent of the levies as a way of cautioning them against poor remuneration.

It was agreed that the incentives were a temporary measure and would be dropped once the Government was in a position to pay better salaries.

Education Deputy Minister, Cde Lazarus Dokora, said last week that at least 96 school heads and school development committee chairpersons countrywide were facing allegations of abusing the incentives system.

The Ministry of Public Service has since said it is conducting investigations through the Public Service Commission on the abuse of the incentives.

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority also indicated last week that it would consider the possibility of taxing the teachers’ incentives.

Meanwhile, teachers’ unions are appealing to Government to fast-track the payment of teachers who were granted amnesty to re-join the profession. The teachers have gone for nearly a year without getting their salaries.

“As a union we are appealing to the Government to waiver the existing stringent requirements as these are hindering teachers from professionally discharging their duties because they are not motivated,” said Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta), Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Sifiso Ndlovu.

“Teachers have gone for over 10 months without getting their allowances and as a nation we expect them to deliver and be with our children.
“Such a teacher is dangerous because he or she has no drive and motivation.”

Mr Ndlovu said the registration of teachers granted amnesty should be done in a fair manner.

“The process involved in the registration has made it difficult for teachers to get their allowances as they need to have medical examinations, security vetting, which is only done in Harare, and then they have to forward these papers to their various district education offices,” he said.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Secretary-General Mr Raymond Majongwe said education authorities were causing untold suffering to the returning teachers.

“Education officers are sitting on teachers’ re-admission forms and their payment papers for unknown reasons, making our members become destitute in the communities they serve,” said Mr Majongwe.

“Of the 16 000 teachers who re-applied, we understand that as of September this year, only 489 had been employed and of these only 17 were paid, which shows that there is a broken pipe in the system.”

Mr Majongwe said that teachers who had not received their salaries should continue to report for duty while the union engages the Government.

Senator Coltart said he had received assurances from the permanent secretary that teachers who were granted amnesty would soon receive their salaries.