Private school teachers counselled

TEACHERS in private schools should form cooperatives so that they are able to fend for themselves during difficult times, National Union of Public and Private Educators of Zambia (NUPEZ) general Secretary Nelson Mwale has said.

Mr Mwale said that private schools had been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 as they were unable to generate any income.

He said the union was concerned for teachers in private schools adding that owners were unable to pay salaries for teachers, hence their lives have become difficult. Mr Mwale said if teachers in private schools had formed cooperatives, they would be able to generate funds, instead of depending on salaries. He said that school owners could not be blamed because their income was generated from schools fees which were only paid if schools were operating.

However, schools closed because of the Covid 19 pandemic.

“Our teachers in the private education sector are suffering because schools have closed meaning that parents are not paying schools. We cannot blame school owners because the only way they pay their teachers is when parents pay which is not the case at the moment due to the pandemic.

“Even if we engage them, they don’t have money to pay teachers it’s very difficult for them as well, “he said.

Recently Extreme (X3M) Ideas Zambia supported by Pembe Flour Milling Limited helped over 50 out-of- work school teachers with food stuffs as a form of relief.

The campaign saw to the donation of several carefully packaged edibles for teachers as a means of sustenance for them and their families for a little while. Speaking about the campaign, Adenike Odutola, General Manager, described it as the company’s way of easing the burden created by the pandemic on multiple sectors of the economy.