Schools not ready for exams: Teachers unions

Source:Schools not ready for exams: Teachers unions –Newsday Zimbabwe TEACHERS’ unions have indicated that several schools countrywide are unprepared for final examinations, citing dilapidated infrastructure and other pressing issues. The education sector in Zimbabwe has been affected by several challenges, including inadequate funding and lack of infrastructural development especially in resettlement area. In an interview with NewsDay, Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said besides poor infrastructure, primary and secondary schools were failing to pay utility bills and staff.

“Right now, we are in an examination season and we have a lot of learners, who have not been paying fees since 2022 and schools now have dilapidated furniture,” Taderera said. “As we speak Grade Sevens, Ordinary levels, and Advanced levels should be writing their end of year examinations and schools are having difficulty finding desks where children can actually write on without scratches. “So not only that, there are a hell lot of other issues like payment of ancillary staff, like maintenance of infrastructure, computers, procurement of furniture, payment of utilities like water and payment of salaries for our workers.

The government last week confirmed that Treasury had disbursed ZiG40 million under the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) in a bid to address the shortfall, which has existed since 2023. This came after an outcry from teachers’ unions, who complained of operating from dry coffers. In response to the Beam funds disbursement, Taderera urged the government to pay the remaining balances for the schools to operate smoothly. “Government should just budget on paper as well as disburse Beam as opposed to a situation where it budgets on paper and do not release the funds and we begin to talk about years going backwards thereby affecting the smooth running of the schools.” “The situation that we have now is something where we had gotten accustomed to a situation where the government does not pay, let alone going for two, three years without paying school fees (sic).