Govt restores teachers’ dignity
THE portrayal of teachers as rebels is distasteful and must be a thing of the past, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Addressing delegates during the Teachers for Economic Development workshop at Mutare Showgrounds on Wednesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, said there was need to treat each other with respect.
“This is who we are. We are Zimbabweans. The country belongs to all of us. If Zimbabwe was a private company, we would all be equal shareholders. There is no one among us who is more Zimbabwean than others.
“Now, the Second Republic is about bringing everyone on board. President Mnangagwa realised the importance of each and every one of us and said no one should be left behind.
“Come on board and bring your ideas. It is easy to say bad things about our country, even to our children, but in the end, we are just shooting ourselves in the foot. When you go out of the country, you will always be identified as a Zimbabwean with your passport. Is this how you would want to be perceived as a people? The time has come for teachers to be active participants in economic empowerment programmes of our country,”she said.
Sen Mutsvangwa said the Government was determined to restore the dignity of the teaching profession, adding that the Teachers for ED vehicle sought to ensure economic empowerment for educators countrywide.
“I remember very well when I was growing up we used to look up to teachers as role models and opinion leaders in our communities. Even when facing problems at home, teachers would assist.
“We would go to the local headmaster, even when one got sick and needed transport to the nearest clinic or hospital. Therefore, the importance of teachers can never be overemphasised.
“It is against this background that we want to ensure that we restore the dignity of our teachers. Some might think that the Teachers for ED is a sub-political initiative, but I tell you that it is for your advantage and that of your family to be part of such a noble initiative aimed at empowering our educators,” she said.
Sen Mutsvangwa urged teachers to be proactive when it comes to income-generating projects to augment their salaries, as well as being active participants in Government’s economic empowerment programmes through the Teachers for Economic Development initiative.
“Gone are the days when people survived on their salaries alone. There is no shame in selling things like vegetables and fruits as part of an income
generating project at household level.
“I am a Government Minister, but I take time, especially on Sundays, to stand by the road near my farm selling vegetables and other farm produce. At times I sell three times more than what the guy at our farm sells because passersby find it exciting to see a Government Minister selling vegetables, I don’t know why.
“Therefore, the message is that there is need to augment the little that we get through income generating projects," she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa also underscored the importance of teachers in the fight against drug abuse and the promotion of mental health in schools.
The Teachers for Economic Development initiative is a voluntary organisation aimed at economically empowering the country’s educators through income generating projects, while at the same time fostering national pride in the profession.
In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop, Teachers for ED national spokesperson, Mrs Violet Dube said: “We are a voluntary teachers organisation.
We stand for the economic empowerment of teachers and restoration of teachers' dignity.
“The increasing numbers of membership is ample evidence that we are concerned about empowering our membership. A lot has been said about us, but there will never be success without negative criticism, therefore we are forging ahead with our initiatives to empower educators.”
Wednesday’s workshop, which brought together representatives of Teachers for ED leadership from all the seven districts of Manicaland, was held under the theme “Harnessing Manicaland’s legacy for economic development”.