PARLIAMENT has urged government to urgently establish and operationalise the Teachers Professional Council (TPC) to address challenges facing workers in the education sector.
This is contained in a report tabled before Parliament by Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education chairperson, Torerai Moyo.
“The government should urgently improve remuneration and conditions of service for all teaching personnel in Zimbabwe,” the report read.
“The establishment of the PTC will go a long way in addressing the current challenges facing the education sector by December 31, 2023.”
“The committee fully believes that investment in the education sector, particularly, improving the conditions of service for teachers and creation of an education fund will also go a long way in addressing some of the current challenges bedevilling the sector.”
Teachers have for a long time been at loggerheads with government over poor remuneration.
They are demanding a basic salary up to US$1 000 to make ends meet, saying their local currency component has pushed them into deeper poverty.
They are currently earning at least US$250 plus a local currency portion.
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“The sector is central to national development through the development of human capital essential for economic growth,” the committee said.
The committee also urged government to invest in the recruitment of teachers who speak local languages, which is central for Early Childhood Development (ECD) education as provided for in the Education Amendment Act.
“The government should prioritise funding ECD education and increase budgetary resources to 5% of the national budget.”
