Sukoluhle Sibanda|The government has with immediate effect called back to duty all teachers currently on leave and terminated contracts for all relief teachers.
The Education Ministry sent a circular to all schools instructing all the teachers on leave to immediately report back for duty or remain on unpaid leave. No explanation to the recall was made by government.
In his 2016 budget presentation, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said that there was no need for government to pay teachers while they are on school holidays and further allow them leave as the school holidays were already enough leave for the teachers. The Minister took swipe at government paying relief teachers while the teacher was on vacation or study leave.
“The Public Service Commission will be reviewing the provision of vacation leave in the education sector, and manpower development leave service-wide. Existing policy provisions entail Government assuming additional employment cost obligations that arise, for instance, from the engagement of replacement teachers in the case of a serving teacher going on vacation leave,” he said.
Chinamasa calculated the gross savings on government expenditure under this arrangement at $4.8 million per month.
“Accordingly, we envisage to generate savings on the wage bill of around US$4.8 million per
month,” read his budget speech.
The move calling on the teachers on leave to immediately return for duty is in line with the finance minister’s budget proposals.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Teachers Association ZIMTA has since warned that the teachers will be resisting this move by government and are preparing papers to take the case to court.
Several teacher organisations in the country are reportedly busy drafting strategies for a massive nationwide mass action against government over several grievances that teachers have against government most of which border around their working conditions and remuneration.
4 Replies to “Govt Shoots Teachers: “Leave Days Now Scrapped, School Holidays Are Enough””
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This is what an insencire government does to hardworking poor teachers.Instead of thanking the teachers for being loyal while others are running away, the govt sees fit to lash the faithful techers.I personally feel for the teachers.Nowhere in the world can you hear of a gvt so much against teachers.Why are teachers the easy targets?Stop recruiting army as there is no war threat.The govt must put its energy on reviving the economy, democratising the systems of business, not sinking so low like that.Some joined the profession because of the holidays which of course act as incentives to a poor paying job.The teachers need to cool down their stresses of teaching impossible children at times.Give them respect which they deserve, not to target them as if they caused the economic meltdown.The real problem is holidaying in the far east and you want to punish the teachers.Whoever thought of that has a small tortoise brain
This is what an insencire government does to hardworking poor teachers.Instead of thanking the teachers for being loyal while others are running away, the govt sees fit to lash the faithful techers.I personally feel for the teachers.Nowhere in the world can you hear of a gvt so much against teachers.Why are teachers the easy targets?Stop recruiting army as there is no war threat.The govt must put its energy on reviving the economy, democratising the systems of business, not sinking so low like that.Some joined the profession because of the holidays which of course act as incentives to a poor paying job.The teachers need to cool down their stresses of teaching impossible children at times.Give them respect which they deserve, not to target them as if they caused the economic meltdown.The real problem is holidaying in the far east and you want to punish the teachers.Whoever thought of that has a small tortoise brain
Teachers are always on leave. I always see one Abel Zimudzi running his illegal tuckshop in highfields most times disappearing only for an hour or two everyday to teach. They have lots of free time these buggers and add the holidays then you can clearly see kuti vamwe vanhu sure havashandi at all
These teachers should have stayed away from work until their bonuses and outstanding grievances had been addressed. The government is busy changing goal post, altering service conditions without proper consultations yet teachers still show up for work.
Dzasukwa and his cabal know Zimbos are yellow bellies. He even thanked us for not uprising against his administration dispite the harsh economic conditions. To add insult to injury, the despot threw a party for his inner circle and topped it up by flying away on a month long tax payers funded vacation. The icing on the cake is the invitation of the two so called VPs to help him chop our money. WAKE UP ZIMBABWE.