Chronicle
18 October 2010
Chronicle Reporter
THE Ministry of Public Service has called for the fast-tracking of the re-engagement of temporary teachers.
In an interview, Minister of Public Service, Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, said there was a shortage of teachers in schools and there was an urgent need for the Ministry to speed up the re-engagement of temporary teachers.
“We are aware that some schools have a shortage of teachers and we do not want any schools to go without teachers. The process of re-engaging temporary teachers is slow, but I talked to the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Senator David Coltart and he is looking into the issue, ” he said.
He said the Ministry did not want to compromise standards in schools, therefore there would be particular care in the teachers that are re-engaged.
At the beginning of the second term, the Public Service Commission (PSC) stopped hiring temporary teachers.
More than 20 000 posts held by unqualified teachers were left vacant, leading to some schools operating with skeleton staff.
The Government later resumed engaging temporary teachers but the process is slow and many schools are still faced with serious staff shortages.
Rural schools in the country are operating with skeleton staff with Matabeleland North facing a shortage of more than 230 teachers.
Minister Mukonoweshuro said the country has lost many qualified teachers due to the mass exodus and temporary teachers were needed to fill the gap.
“Many of our teachers have left the country because of the dire economic challenges and this has left a huge gap, we cannot operate without temporary teachers,” Minister Mukonoweshuro said.
He noted that the most affected subjects are Mathematics and Science.
He also urged all temporary teachers with terminated contracts to report to their respective district officers to renew their contracts.
This setback comes at a time when secondary pupils are about to sit for their public exams.