By A Correspondent- The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said teachers who have not reported for duty will face disciplinary action following revelations that by Friday last week, slightly over 32 per cent of teachers were not at work.

In an interview with State media, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said when schools reopened some teachers did not report for duty.

Moyo said the ministry will continue to monitor the attendance of teachers and relevant disciplinary action will be taken against those who do not report for work. He said:

The majority of our teachers had gone to work on Monday but what is concerning is that some had not reported for duty while learners were there.

Last Friday an average of 67,4 per cent of teachers were at work and the difference could have been that some teachers responsible for non-examination classes were waiting for their pupils to open on Monday.

We have rules and regulations guiding our operations and if teachers abscond, they will face disciplinary action.

He said if teachers have grievances, they must wait for them to be addressed by relevant authorities rather than making learners sacrificial lambs.

Said Moyo:

Parents are paying school fees and we want them to get value for their money and this is possible if their children are learning.

Teachers shouldn’t violate the rights of learners in order to compensate for theirs. They must be patient and their problems will be solved.

Moyo also warned schools against turning back learners for non-payment of school fees.

He said some parents had lodged complainants that children were being turned back from school.

He said school authorities had to engage parents over the payment of fees without inconveniencing learners.

-statemedia