Stampede for teaching posts
THERE was a huge turnout by prospective trained teachers in Manicaland with at least 1 853 having been registered for possible employment on Wednesday.
Some 400 others were expected to register yesterday.
The registration was being done at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education district offices in Mutare, Chipinge, Makoni, Nyanga, Mutasa, Buhera and Chimanimani.
The overwhelming response follows Government’s decision to recruit 3 000 teachers in a bid to address manpower shortages which have badly impacted on the education sector, amid reports that some rural schools have a teacher-to-pupil ratio of 1-120 or more.
Manicaland provincial education director (PED) Mr Edward Shumba told The Manica
Post yesterday that those who registered will be absorbed into the system.
“There is no need to panic, everything is under control and all those teachers will be registered into the system.
On Wednesday about 1 853 teachers were registered into the system while more than 400 are still in the process of registering yesterday,” he said.
He said teachers from Manicaland would be prioritised in the exercise.
“Teachers that are close to the jurisdiction of Manicaland are our priority,” said Mr Shumba.
A snap survey by The Manica Post showed that teachers from different provinces of Zimbabwe responded to the exercise, creating a stampede as people jostled to get through the registration lines at district offices. In Chipinge aspiring teachers started
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queuing around 5am.
In interviews done by this publication most aspiring teachers were optimistic that the registration process will see them eventually recruited. Others felt that the recruitment teams should prioritise those who graduated first.
Mr Tichaona Sigauke said Government stance to unfreeze teaching post is welcome.
“I graduated in 2015 and it’s now four years without a job. I believe this time I will make it. The recruitment drive must give priority to those who completed the course long back. This will bring hope to those aspiring teachers who had lost hope,” he said.
Chipinge district schools inspector Mr Richard Gabaza urged aspiring teachers to desist from double registration. Mr Simbarashe Ketana (32) from Chigodora said: “The registration is going well today, but on the first day we were pepper-sprayed by the security guards following commotion at the district offices.”
Mr Valentine Chiyadzwa, of Mutare said the registration process has improved compared to last year. Some expressed pessimism on the registration process, saying there was too much corruption involved.
“The problem with the registration process is corruption. I was here on Wednesday when about 300 teachers were registered, but now we hear that almost 1 000 have been registered. How and where were the rest registered,” said one prospective teacher who refused to be named.