Newsday
By Veneranda Langa
12 March 2011
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, minister David Coltart has warned war veterans to desist from entertaining the idea of invading classrooms to teach history because they would face the wrath of the law.
Coltart told Parliament during the question-and-answer session in the House of Assembly that the Education ministry should be the least politicised ministry in the government and war veterans should not try to disturb the quality of the education system in the country by pretending to be teachers.
He was responding to a question raised by Mazowe Central MP Shepherd Mushonga who sought clarification from the minister over government policy regarding reports that war veterans were being prepared to teach history at schools.
“What is government policy with regards to the current training of the youth brigade members at rural primary and secondary schools and also the teaching by war veterans of war history at primary schools, which is being conducted in Mashonaland Central, particularly in Mazowe Central?†asked Mushonga. “I have a letter which was written by youth officers to the headmaster of Kakora Primary School to the effect that the training is starting this week.â€
Coltart said contrary to plans by war veterans, the policy of his ministry was that only qualified teachers and those accepted by the Public Service Commission were entitled to be at school premises to teach children.
“If there are any instances where people are not qualified — are not accepted as teachers in terms of our Education Act — action will be taken against those people. Regarding the issue of reports of war veterans teaching history in schools, the same applies that only teachers who are qualified to teach any subject should teach, and I have made my position very clear in this regard,†said Coltart.
He said if schools were to be turned into partisan institutions, the future of the children of Zimbabwe would be destroyed.
“There should be no partisan, political activities that take place in any of our schools. That is also the teaching by war veterans of war history at primary schools, which is being conducted in Mashonaland Central, particularly in Mazowe Central?†asked Mushonga.
“I have a letter which was written by youth officers to the headmaster of Kakora Primary School to the effect that the training is starting this week.â€
Coltart said contrary to the plans by the war veterans the policy of his ministry was that only qualified teachers and those accepted by the Public Service Commission were entitled to be at school premises to teach children.
“If there are any instances where people are not qualified — are not accepted as teachers in terms of our Education Act — action will be taken against those people. Regarding the issue of reports of war veterans teaching history in schools, the same applies that only teachers who are qualified to teach any subject should teach, and I have made my position very clear in this regard,†said Coltart.
He said if schools were to be turned into partisan institutions, the future of the children of Zimbabwe would be destroyed.
“There should be no partisan, political activities that take place in any of our schools. That is why I have announced on several occasions that no schools should be used anywhere for partisan political activities,†said Coltart.
He said there had been alarming reports and statistics produced last year involving the intimidation of teachers, which resulted in the reduction of qualified teachers in rural schools because they had ubsequently asked to be transferred to other areas.
Coltart told MPs that this had resulted in a drop in the number of teachers, as well as a drop in the pass rates for Grade 7 examinations at those schools.
He said MPs should ensure schools were politics-free zones, where there was no intimidation.