Good riddance

WE say good riddance to all the teachers who have been dismissed for unethical conduct. These are people who have been on government payroll using fake qualifications and subjecting pupils to poor education standards.

Teachers are not only there to enlighten pupils in classrooms, but to provide moral guidance and help shape the minds of the young people under their charge. It is therefore unfortunate that teachers have been involved in immoral behaviour that includes having inappropriate relationships with pupils. When parents send their children to school, they expect that the teacher(s) as the case may be, would act as a parent and guide the young ones appropriately. That is how much they trust them. No parent expects or wants to hear that the teacher is leading their child astray. Early this year, we reported a case of four teachers of Mkushi who were involved in a sex party with pupils. The teachers had sneaked out of the school with the girls for a drinking spree that included activities that no parent would want their underage child to be involved in. There have been other cases of parents and or guardians taking their children, mostly girls, out of school and forcing them into marriage. This is clearly against the law and ought to attract the wrath of the law enforcement agencies. It took an alert and courageous teacher of Siavonga to report the parents and guardians to police. This is what we expect from teachers. To be the shining example to the pupils and the community. It is in this regard that we also applaud the Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ) for taking punitive action against teachers found wanting for various offences. We have learnt that 263 teachers have been dismissed by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) for various offences including having sexual relationships with pupils and forged academic or professional certificates in the on-going qualifications clean up. This information was revealed by TSC chairperson Stanley Mhango, who warned other wouldbe offenders to learn from those who have been dismissed He disclosed that 10 teachers were sacked for sexual having relationships with their pupils, while the rest were dismissed for faking professional certificates. We realise that the TSC does not take misconduct by teachers lightly, hence the serious action taken. The TSC would have known that it was taking action that would deprive people of their jobs and consequently loss of income. However, this was the right and only decision that would be taken in the circumstances. The issue of teachers gaining employment by using fake qualifications has shocked the nation, especially that the total figure of those caught in the web after investigations totaled close to 600 countrywide. We applaud the TCZ’s decision to dismiss those whose qualifications have been proved beyond doubt, that they are fake. Those who may have doubted the seriousness of the TCZ will now know that it means business to weed out the fake teachers and those found guilty of corrupting the morals of pupils. We can only urge the TCZ not to relent but to forge ahead and continue this fight. It should also turn its attention to private schools where teachers running away from government institutions on account of possessing questionable qualifications, end up. The system should be cleaned up and we are happy that the results are showing through the dismissal of fake teachers.