THE Public Service Commission (PSC) is negotiating with Treasury for the employment of 5 000 teachers to reduce the deficit of educators in schools which have almost 13 000 vacancies, a Cabinet Minister said yesterday.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima revealed this during a Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (Zicosu) public lecture at the United College of Education in Bulawayo.

The public lecture was running under the theme: “Utilising teachers and education in achieving vision 2030.”

The lecture is part of Zicosu’s thrust to bring Government officials to interact with students and explain how various departments are relevant to President Mnangagwa’s vision of turning the country into an upper middle income economy by 2030.

Prof Mavima said his Ministry is committed to improving the country’s education sector and together with the PSC they are lobbying Treasury for the employment of an additional 5 000 teachers.

In January, Treasury gave the PSC the green light to recruit 3 000 teachers.
“So what else are we doing in order to provide opportunities? The first thing is that we are continuing to push Treasury. Right now together with PSC, we have asked for 5 000 positions to be opened up. The Minister of Finance (and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube) is favourable but I don’t know when they will give us the green light to recruit the 5 000,” said Prof Mavima.

He said the Government job freeze had resulted in a deficit of about 13 000 teachers.

“So that we solve these issues we must be honest with each other isn’t? We had 20 000 unemployed trained teachers until very recently.

For a long period of time we have not had massive recruitment even though we have shortages. I think we have shortages within our current schools of about 12 000 to 13 000. But because of the fiscal situation, Government said you can’t recruit,” said Prof Mavima.State media