Teachers Unions support Government’s warning

Teachers’ unions have backed Minister of Education, Douglas Siyakalima’s warning that teachers abandoning their rural schools risk losing their jobs. The District Teachers’ Union (DTUZ) General Secretary, David Siamutwa said the warning is timely. Mr Siamutwa explained that learners in rural areas are not different from those in urban areas as they also need quality education.

“The needs of pupils in rural areas are just the same as the needs of those in urban areas therefore, there is need to render the teaching services to children in the rural areas because leaving those areas will mean there will be no education in those parts of the country,” said Mr Siakalima. Mr Siamutwa emphasised on the need for teachers to be professional by honoring their deployment. Meanwhile, Mr Siamutwa has implored the government to consider improving living conditions for the teachers serving in remote areas.

He highlighted that teachers will not shan their posts if housing conditions are improved in rural areas.And Mr Siamutwa has also called on the communities in which the teachers are deployed to serve to embrace them.Mr Siamutwa has however expressed concern over reports of witchcraft, which he said scare teachers to serve in rural areas.“We urge the members of the community to accept the teachers to make their work easy.”In a related development, Basic Education Teachers Union (BETUZ) Director Public and International Relations, Obby Chisala says the union is saddened by reports of teachers abandoning their posts in rural areas as reported by the Ministry of Education.Mr Chisala counselled teachers to offer their services professionally regardless of the areas they are posted to work from.“Our role as teachers is to deliver quality education to every Zambian regardless of where they are,” said Mr Chisala.He appealed to government to continue improving working conditions for teachers working in rural areas.Mr Chisala however said the union in line with government reforms is committed to building housing units for rural based teachers.Yesterday, Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima warned that teachers who abandon their assigned rural postings risk losing their jobs and that government has intensified efforts to curb absenteeism in underserved areas and firing is one of them. He highlighted that teachers will not shan their posts if housing conditions are improved in rural areas. And Mr Siamutwa has also called on the communities in which the teachers are deployed to serve to embrace them.

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Mr Siamutwa has however expressed concern over reports of witchcraft, which he said scare teachers to serve in rural areas.“We urge the members of the community to accept the teachers to make their work easy.”In a related development, Basic Education Teachers Union (BETUZ) Director Public and International Relations, Obby Chisala says the union is saddened by reports of teachers abandoning their posts in rural areas as reported by the Ministry of Education.Mr Chisala counselled teachers to offer their services professionally regardless of the areas they are posted to work from.“Our role as teachers is to deliver quality education to every Zambian regardless of where they are,” said Mr Chisala.He appealed to government to continue improving working conditions for teachers working in rural areas.Mr Chisala however said the union in line with government reforms is committed to building housing units for rural based teachers.Yesterday, Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima warned that teachers who abandon their assigned rural postings risk losing their jobs and that government has intensified efforts to curb absenteeism in underserved areas and firing is one of them. Mr Siamutwa has however expressed concern over reports of witchcraft, which he said scare teachers to serve in rural areas. “We urge the members of the community to accept the teachers to make their work easy.”In a related development, Basic Education Teachers Union (BETUZ) Director Public and International Relations, Obby Chisala says the union is saddened by reports of teachers abandoning their posts in rural areas as reported by the Ministry of Education.Mr Chisala counselled teachers to offer their services professionally regardless of the areas they are posted to work from.“Our role as teachers is to deliver quality education to every Zambian regardless of where they are,” said Mr Chisala.He appealed to government to continue improving working conditions for teachers working in rural areas.Mr Chisala however said the union in line with government reforms is committed to building housing units for rural based teachers.Yesterday, Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima warned that teachers who abandon their assigned rural postings risk losing their jobs and that government has intensified efforts to curb absenteeism in underserved areas and firing is one of them. “We urge the members of the community to accept the teachers to make their work easy.”

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