THE government should address the acute shortage of teachers in remote areas caused by the migration of experienced educators to urban areas, Nkayi South legislator Jabulani Hadebe has said.
In an interview with Southern Eye yesterday, Hadebe said migration of teachers led to students in the Nkayi area failing to receive quality education.
He accused the government of failing to maintain infrastructure in remote areas, adding that schools were in a dilapidated state.
“In some schools, buildings have no roofs, making it difficult for teachers to conduct lessons during the rainy season,” he said.
Hadebe said government had failed to cater for education in remote areas, with most schools in Nkayi affected by a shortage of textbooks.
“The environment within the remote areas has made it difficult for teachers to conduct their work as there are inadequate resources, hence the reason why newly-graduated teachers are mostly deployed to such areas compared to those with experience, who prefer schools where there are better facilities,” he said.
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Hadebe said Nkayi South had huge challenges, including poor mobile phone network and internet connectivity, which made matters worse.
“The schools have no information communication technology gadgets, making it difficult for learners to conduct research.
“Internet connectivity is very poor, hence this shows that schools in remote areas are not given the same resources as those in urban set-ups,” he said.
Hadebe said government should consider building more schools in remote areas to cut the distance travelled by learners saying the few available schools have limited resources.
Meanwhile, Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said government has implemented several policies aimed at improving teacher retention in rural areas.
“The policy includes incentives for rural teachers, which include housing allowances and additional financial support to make these positions more attractive,” he said.
Ndoro said the government was actively engaged in recruitment drives targeting local graduates in rural communities, encouraging them to teach in their home areas as this would help to foster a commitment to local education.
“We are investing in professional development programmes specifically designed for teachers in rural settings. This includes training and resources that cater to the unique challenges they face,” he said.
Ndoro said the government was also working on improving school infrastructure in rural areas to create a more conducive teaching and learning environment, which helps to retain teachers.
“Regarding the migration of teachers from rural to urban areas, the ministry recognises this trend and is committed to implementing policies that incentivise teachers to remain in their posts,” he said.
He added that they believed that these measures could mitigate the challenges faced in rural education and improve the overall educational landscape in Zimbabwe.