The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Life Correspondent
ON May 6, education officer, Milton Nleya called it a day on his 35 year- teaching career that he feels has been fulfilling.
Nleya was nicknamed “teacher” as a youngster and it seems to have been prophetic as he went on to take up the profession educating many along the way.
Nleya (65) says growing up in Malalume, 50 km west of Plumtree, was called the teacher when he was still in his teens but does not remember why he was given that moniker.
The affable Nleya said while the nickname could have had an impact on him choosing his career he feels it was a natural choice that came to him.
While it started off as a rosy career the journey in the profession took a remarkable turn, when teachers, once considered knowledgeable and guiding lights in their communities and playing an important role in grooming young people started being seen as any other ordinary worker and losing respect in the eyes of society.
“Knowledge was seen as valuable and success in life was tied with getting a good education hence you had to give the person imparting that knowledge utmost respect. It transcended school buildings and salaries but also the communities we were based in held us esteem.
“But as things took a turn for the worse and the economy crumbled and inflation went up we just became like any other person. While some communities still give respect to teachers because they know the important role they play in society, the turn of the millennium brought a remarked change for the profession,” said Nleya.
He said while some dumped the profession during the dark period of spiralling inflation years, some remained although the impact is still being felt even now as teachers seek to return to their jobs.
Nleya was born in Plumtree in 1951 and attended Malalume and Dombodema Primary Schools before going to Mzilikazi where he completed his secondary education before taking up a job at Marvo Printers as an assistant printer in 1970 but it wasn’t long before he left for Botswana where he joined Zapu while working as a temporary teacher in 1974.
“At the time, Zapu was sending young people on scholarships at various universities to ensure there is a pool of graduates to take over when the country attains independence and I was among those who went to Nigeria, where I completed my A-Level at the Federal School of Arts and Sciences in Ondo State 1977 and the following year I enrolled at the University of Ibadan where I attained a combined honours degree in history and political science which I completed in July 1981,” he said.
Nleya came back to the country a month later and started teaching at Mpandeni Mission, in 1991 he acquired a graduate certificate at the University of Zimbabwe and was deployed to St Anna Secondary as acting head and then moved to Bambadzi before moving back to St Anna as substantive head where he stayed until his appointment as Education officer in June 2009, a position he held until his retirement last week.
Having spent all his professional career in Matabeleland South, Nleya had the first hand experience of seeing youngsters turn their back on education and head for South Africa, due to its proximity to the province.
He said the country’s economic situation had exacerbated the migration as young people saw the uneducated coming back driving cars and thinking the best way to achieve success was to head down south.
“We had a situation where those who went through the education system and were employed were jobless or earning peanuts but those who dropped out seemed to have a lot of cash and were better off.
“However, South Africa has always been seen as a country full of opportunities but that hasn’t always been the case and some have not achieved the perceived wealth but it was difficult persuading them to stay because just the success of one person would see many of them drop out for the country,” said Nleya.
He said teaching practical subjects such carpentry was critical adding more vocational training centres need to be built.
