TREASURY has not released funding to recruit 8000 teachers as announced by the government early this year to fill thousands of vacant posts in yet another sign of neglect of the education sector.
Over 10 000 teachers have quit the profession in the past two years in protest over poor working conditions, according to unions representing educators.
In June, the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) claimed that 15 000 teachers quit the profession in frustration over poor working conditions.
However, the government dismissed the figure as overstated.
The Primary and Secondary Education ministry later said just over 5 000 teachers left the profession in 2023.
In May, the government acknowledged the skills gap, and affirmed plans to fulfill its earlier promises to recruit 8 000 teachers to fill vacant posts.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister, Edgar Moyo, told Parliament last week that the Treasury has not released any funding to recruit teachers.
“What I may say is that at the beginning of this year, the government approved the employment of 8 000 teachers subject to Treasury concurrence and availability of funding for those costs,” Moyo said.
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“Now, as of now, the funding has not been availed, although concurrence was secured.
“We however, regret that some schools and some classes are going without teachers and we are actively working on that.”
Moyo’s response elicited angry responses from Members of Parliament who wanted to find out why the government was not prioritising the education sector which faces years of underfunding and neglect.
Moyo remained adamant that there is no money to recruit teachers to fill vacant posts.
“The responsible departments will approve the employment of those teachers and after the approval of those teachers, then for you to employ there has to be Treasury concurrence to say yes, we think we can absorb that responsibility,” he said.
“That is the process. The actual funding must be secured first before you employ because you want to pay those teachers as soon as they have been employed.”
PTUZ recently sent a delegation to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office requesting his intervention over salaries and other challenges bedevilling the education sector.
This was a follow-up to their petition to Finance minister Mthuli Ncube.
Teachers are demanding that the government must pay them at least US$540, which they were earning before October 2018.
Zimbabwean teachers earn an average of US$250 per month and around ZiG3 000, respectively.
