Indiscipline in Education Ministry rife - PAC

PARLIAMENTARY Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday grilled Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary for Administration, Jabbin Mulwanda, for failing to curb indiscipline among officers.

PAC member who is also Solwezi Central Member of Parliament Teddy Kasoso, indicated that the level of indiscipline in the ministry was high but the Permanent Secretary had not taken any action against the officers.

Mr Kasoso said the only action the Permanent Secretary had taken was to charge some officials several times without taking punitive action.

He said Dr Mulwanda had charged an officer in Lusaka 33 times and Solwezi 21 times but and nothing serious had been done.

He said this yesterday when Dr Mulwanda appeared before the committee.

Mr Kasoso said if Dr Mulwanda was proactive in discharging his duties punitive action would have been taken against indisciplined officers.

“How can you charge someone 33 times and some of the officers were only charged when the PS was told that he will be appearing before the committee in order to show to us that he is doing his work properly when not.

“For instance at Solwezi Technical High School the land has been evaded by teachers and even the former head teacher, the Provincial Education Officers have not even done anything. This is the indiscipline we are talking about,” Mr Kasoso said.

Meanwhile, Kasempa MP Brenda Tambatamba wondered why the ministry continued to misappropriate funds for programmes in various schools.

She said it was shocking that funds meant for executing programmes in schools were channelled to administrative functions.

Chembe MP, Mwansa Mbulakulima, said the Permanent Secretary should stop fuelling indiscipline because the situation was negatively affecting the ministry.

He said that the misappropriation funds should be the thing of past, stating those involved must be punished severely.