Dickson Bandera
The newly formed teachers union, Teachers for Economic Development is set to hold its national launch at the Harare International Conference Centre tommorrow.
The launch is expected to attract more than 5000 teachers from across all the ten provinces.
The teachers have joined the movement which seeks to build patriotic and conscious teachers who will be implementers of national programmes in line with the country’s Vision 2030.
Government gave the nod for the establishment of the union and holding of provincial and national launches in a circular dated 22 June, 2022 written by the secretary of Primary and Secondary Education Tumisang Thabela to all provincial education directors.
The Union was, however, directed to conduct its activities without disrupting planned learning and teaching activities in schools as the government sought balance both the objectives of schools and the new organisation.
Although the organisation has been blasted by some sections, especially those from left wing political parties, who claim that this is a government ploy to silence teachers, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has maintained that it saw the union fit because the teachers are coming on board to work towards sustainable economic solutions than focus on industrial action as the only way to address grievances.
“I can tell you for certain that with such kind of teachers’ unions that are focused on economic development, issues of teachers’ industrial action will soon be a thing of the past as these teachers utilise their skills for the economic emancipation and welfare of the nation,” the ministry’s spokesperson Taungana Ndoro was recently quoted by Newsday.
The government has admitted that the conditions of service for teachers are still deplorable and has been making efforts to cushion the educationists with gradual salary adjustmnts as well as offers of non monetary incentives.
Some of the non monetary benefits currently given to teachers include duty free vehicle importation licences and payment of school fees for teachers’ biological children. To address accommodation challenges for teachers, government has started work on the construction of 34 000 flats for teachers that will be built on school premises over a period of five years.
The government has mantained that it is commitment to better the conditions of the whole civil service but argues this cannot be a switch but gradually process.
The Teachers for Economic Development has already started rolling out economic development programmes in schools where the government has also directed that participants attend on voluntary basis.
