AUTHORITIES at Mother Patrick Convent Primary School in Mainway Meadows, Harare, are up in arms with the learners’ parents after teachers downed tools on November 19 this year, forcing parents and guardians to withdraw their children from the learning institution, which has been closed since then.
The impasse has forced learners to stay at home as teachers protest poor working conditions, among a host of other concerns.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the teachers said their grievances stemmed from unfair labour practice and poor salaries.
“We are not being paid our salaries and we were not given our annual bonuses. Our medical aid was withdrawn. We are being victimised,” one of the teachers said.
“The authorities especially the headmistress, Tendayi Kagurabadza, deputy and one of the sisters do not consider the concerns of the teachers.
“We want to create a nurturing environment for our learners and for them to get better grades, but the conditions we are forced to work under are making that impossible.”
However, parents who approached NewsDay expressed frustration over the strike.
“We are supporting the teachers because it is affecting our children’s education. They are not paying the teachers to an extent that we are losing good teachers. The pass rate has gone down because of that,” one of the parents said.
“We are paying US$830 as they do not accept ZiG, but teachers are not being paid to teach our children and we have not been getting financial statements since this head joined the school. We need the school to resolve all these issues.”
However, another parent applauded the teachers for taking the initiative to solve the problems at the school.
“I commend the teachers for taking a stance by withdrawing their services and as parents we should do the same,” the parent said.
“The children should only be sent back to school after our stalemate with the school has been resolved.”
Kagurabadza refused to comment on the matter.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said government was seized with the issue with a team already deployed to investigate.
