Progressive Teachers Union Of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) says It is sad that while outside countries like Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique, South Sudan and Rwanda appreciate the expertise of teachers from Zimbabwe, teachers are being denigrated at home.
In a statement today, PTUZ President Mr Takavafira Zhou said such a move is welcomed as it benefit educational ideas across Southern Africa.
“We even need exchange programs with other Southern African countries so that we benefit from cross pollination of educational ideas in Southern Africa, more so given the fact that the current borders are artificial creations of colonialists that must never create barriers to development but provide opportunities to brain circulation and development,” he said.
Furthermore, Mr Zhou said they already had made suggestions for government to export teachers but Sadly the suggestions have over a long period been snubbed.
“As PTUZ, we have over a long period approached the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education with suggestions for government to agree to export teachers at regional, continental and global levels.
“Such agreements could go a long way in enabling teachers to make money over a period of 5 to 20 years which they can ultimately invest in Zimbabwe in general and education system in particular,” said Mr Zhou.
Zhou added that, There is therefore need to adopt a broad phenomenon approach that can see Zimbabwe benefitting from training and expertise of it’s own teachers in the same way Cuba benefitted from the expertise of it’s own doctors.
“We remain disturbed by a mere closeting with Rwandan offer when the whole of Southern African countries are getting teachers from Zimbabwe on a silver platter that also do not have national protection as they are used as cheap labor.
“That panacea can, therefore, not only come from a government to government agreement with Rwanda, but with willing countries regionally, continental and globally, nor must this be restricted to graduates from Chitepo’s ideological school as some warped opinions are suggesting,” he added.
This came following Rwandan President, Paul Kagame has said his country is in urgent need of teachers and has its eyes on Zimbabwe.
Teachers has for a long time been at loggerheads with the government over salaries in which teachers are demanding to be restored to their October 2018 salaries where they were being paid between US520 and 550
