Cut down on public teacher education

Dear Editor,

THE Ministry of Education has again recruited 7, 221 teachers (Lusaka Times, January 26, 2024). In terms of job creation and improving the provision of quality education, this is a progressive step.

In relation to the mass of teachers who have failed to enter the ranks of the teaching staff, this recruitment makes little dent on teacher unemployment.

In 2023, I appealed to the government and other stakeholders to make bold decisions regarding the role of the state in teacher training.

It is very clear that the private sector has reached sufficient levels of teacher training and therefore, the state should withdraw below 30 percent by 2030 from teacher training. This model should also apply to the training of nurses.

The oversupply of teachers and nurses and under capacity of the employment by the private sector is the systematic cause of teacher and nurse unemployment. This is exacerbated by lack of effective planning and collaboration between the state and the market.

The transition period or “waithood” between graduation and placement of teachers and nurses has moved from one month under UNIP administration, three years under the MMD regime, seven years under the PF gang and now ten years.

While trained teachers and nurses wait for public employment, they either grapple with indecent jobs in the private sector or do money agency with MTN or Ariel. During this period, teachers who are not bookaholic easily forget the teaching methodologies.

With the reduction of the training of teachers; we will give the teacher college under the Ministry of Education a different function but still education. Creative arts, theatre development or broaden the technical education base.