Clive Thabo Dube and John Ndlovu
FIGHTING FOR CHANGE comes at a cost for the brave ones who demand it and that change doesn’t come overnight. But South African black students on June 16, 1976 through the Soweto Uprising changed the country’s education system entirely.
In the Apartheid era in South Africa, the minority white ruling government enacted and passed the Bantu Education Act which deprived the black majority quality education. The students through their union leaders rose up against their oppressors through a peaceful march in Soweto, Orlando Stadium in 1976.
On that very day, students lost their lives, in the same year, nearly 500 people died in the hands of the brutal police force. But the 500 did not die in vain, the revolution for change in the education sector carried on until 1994.
In Zimbabwe teachers feel the education system is rigged against them and their livelihoods.
Just like the neighboring country, Zimbabwean (then Rhodesia) education was availed to white settlers. Upon gaining independence, heady days came to prosperity for those in the education sector.
Schools were built, teachers flooded classrooms along with the students. Now one by one, all that is becoming a distant memory, with classrooms collapsing, making children learn under un-roofed classrooms or under tree shades with no tables nor chairs.
Teachers are leaving the country in droves in search for greener pastures, regional and internationally. Students are dropping out of school due to ever increasing costs of living affecting the pittance salaries being earned by their parents.
Now like the Soweto Youths that suffered under the Apartheid regime, Zimbabwean teachers are set to skip school and down their tools on June 16 (Friday). In protest against the ZANU- PF regime whom the incapacitated educators see is clearly not prioritizing the country’s education system.
With the galloping inflation and crumbling local currency, teachers salaries are eroding, while the Government remains ignorant to this plight. The current remunerations fail to meet the needs of the civil servants, let alone keep up with inflation.
Poor salaries have became not palatable to their needs as the education stakeholders languish in abject poverty. A never ending sorrow which is now the stimulus behind the depreciating academia levels of Zimbabwe.
Speaking to Zim GBC News, the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) President Obert Masaraure fumed over the current manner teachers are being treated. With the country on the brink of the 2008 hyperinflation season, Masaraure said teachers are suffering from the discriminatory education system created by the ruling elites and underpayment of teachers in public schools.
“Today, Zimbabwe’s poor (teachers) are victims of a discriminatory education system designed by the ruling elites. The teachers in public schools are severely underpaid and learners cannot afford the poor quality education. On 16 June (Thursday) teachers are going to completely withdraw their labor demanding a living wage. If teachers earn a living wage they will in turn deliver quality education.” Masaraure said.
The monthly salary of teachers in Zimbabwe is below the poverty line and the Government, and unions representing teachers are on a deadlock. Leaving teachers welfare in a dire state under the current economic crisis headed by the ever fluctuating currency rate both the black market rate and the official RBZ rate.
Teachers have been demanding for United States dollars (US$) payments to override their shrinking and insufficient salaries.
“The teachers are failing to provide for themselves or for their families due to the galloping inflation rate, both the official and from the black market which have rendered the salaries of the teachers useless. By default, no matter how the teachers love their jobs they will be forced to down their tools. The teacher’s livelihood is what matters right now, if the employer cares for the education system they will have to do something about it in terms of catering for teachers’ upkeep which has deteriorated.” said the Educators Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ) president, Tafadzwa Munodawafa.
Munodawafa also criticized the reactional tendencies of the government on the education sector.
“Normally an employer must always keep tabs of what is happening to their employees. Naturally our employer continues to ignore our communication, they are silent. So how do you expect teachers to survive in such situations?” She added.
With just less than two months before elections, teachers have been forced to conduct private lessons and vend by selling to learners to supplement their pay.
Teachers salaries are now less than US$70 and the government is moving on a snail pace to resolve the issue, the main teacher union, the Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) has said.
“Salaries of teachers have been eroded by inflation with a basic salary now less than US$70. Government is taking time to restore the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries that was pegged at a basic salary of US$540 before October 2018.” Takavafira Zhou, PTUZ president said.
Zhou further added that the under payment of teachers has been a great threat to the education system and urged all workers of Zimbabwe to unite and fight for better salaries and efficient services.
“The current underpayment of teachers is the greatest threat to the system of education. However, a more robust engagement would have been more appropriate given the intransigent and irresponsible nature of the employer. Unless workers unite against the callous employer, they will perish as fools.
“Workers of Zimbabwe must unite unite, organize and fight for better salaries and conditions of service. The best time to do is before elections. ” The PTUZ President added.
On June 16 each passing year, the world stands in solidarity with the students from Soweto who fought for the betterment of the education system in South Africa.
However, Zimbabwe which has various unions since the early 2000s representing both the grievances of teachers and students are seemingly finding it hard to bend the stance of the government when it comes to the education system. Making teachers Socio- economic woes a national concern.