Teachers slam payless promotions

New Zimbabwe

By New Zimbabwe Reporter

23 May 2013

UNIONS have dismissed as a dud a move by the Education Ministry to promote to substantive heads some 5,000 teachers who have been acting school heads around the country, in some cases for up to 12 years.

Education Minister David Coltart confirmed the development saying: “We do not have a particular number of posts but we have an unacceptably high number of education officers on acting capacity and we would love to have them elevated to substantive posts.

“This is a policy issue in our ministry and our intention is to do that as early as possible but of course that is subject to budgetary issues and approval by PSC.”

But Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu said discussions with the ministry had not included conditions of services for the promoted officers.

“Our deliberations had nothing to do with the conditions of service for teachers but we talked about the issue of transfers and promotions which have been frozen. The government explained its financial position and that it was unable to pay the salaries for new posts,” he said.

“However, it was explained that despite the constrained budget for the year, it was possible for the Government to promote about 5 000 teachers who are acting heads. In some places it has already been done and we can confirm it.”

“We are aware of that but the whole plan is that they will elevate people to those posts and fail to increase their salaries. What is important is to give people rewards for the increased responsibility,” he said.

“This is piecemeal issue because without an increase in salaries those promotions are a nullity. I think the Government is doing this because it is afraid of punishment as we had planned to take the matter to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).”

“That number (5,000) is nothing compared to the vacant posts in the country. It is sad that the budget for the ministry remains low despite the increase in enrolment at our schools. The education sector remains in dire straits in terms of budget and the disbursements are slow,” he said.

Up to 80 percent of the heads at some 8,000 schools around the country are understood to be working in an acting capacity.