Hiring retired teachers raises concerns

By The Southern Eye | Jan. 16, 2014

THE government’s move to hire retired teachers in a bid to ease teacher shortages has raised concern amid reports that a vast majority of them have not been practicing for more than a decade while others are over 70 years of age.

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The education department started recruiting teachers in Bulawayo and most parts of Matabeleland and a number of retired teachers, most of who are feeling the pinch of the harsh economic environment, newly-qualified teachers and non-teaching professionals thronged district recruitment offices to apply.

Some retired teachers were allegedly given first preference in taking up posts at schools with better facilities.

Former Education minister David Coltart said re-engaging retired teachers should not be of great concern, but the worry would be rushing them to classrooms without reorientation.

“Personally I have no problem with hiring teachers who have not been teaching say for 10 years,” Coltart said.

“That should not be a concern. We need experienced teachers back in the classrooms. However, what would be of concern is for them to be rushed back into the classrooms without retraining. They will defiantly need skills upgrading.”

Coltart said he would prefer having experienced retired teachers back in classrooms than non-qualified teachers.

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Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said there is no need to retest any hired retired teachers because the syllabus has not changed that much during their absence from the classroom.

“It’s true that some of the re-hired teachers have not been practicing for close to a decade, but the fact that they are trained teachers in Zimbabwe is a good enough seal of approval,” Nldovu said.

Many teachers left the civil service together with other professionals at the onset of Zimbabwe’s economic downturn from 2000.