The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE government has read the riot act against teachers, deputy heads and school heads giving them up until next Tuesday to have returned to teaching or risk being deemed have resigned from services.
Some teachers, have since the opening of schools for the First Term absented themselves from work, initially arguing that they were incapacitated. However, government through the National Joint Negotiating Council came up with a number of intervention measures meant to cushion the civil servants.
Some of these perks included a US$100 allowance will be paid on top and separate from the civil servant’s local currency earnings, payable in March and a 20 percent review calculated from the gross salary, was also agreed on, backdated to January 2022 but payable this month.
The civil servants were also granted a number of non-monetary perks.
However, despite these interventions, some teachers continued not reporting to work, while some who did report to work were not teaching, a move which led to Cabinet, on Tuesday directing the Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, working together with the Public Service Commission to intervene.
In a statement, the Public Service Commission has since given the truant teachers till next Tuesday to resume their duties or risk being deemed to have resigned.
The commission revealed that the recruitment process to replace these resigned personnel will immediately being on Tuesday.
“All teachers, deputy heads and heads of schools, who do not report for duty by Tuesday 22 February 2022 will be deemed to have resigned from the service. Those reporting for duty but not teaching will also be deemed to have resigned.
“All those who will have in that manner so resigned and were occupying institutional accommodation are expected to vacate the same with immediate effect,” reads the statement.
The commission further reveals that the government has since taken the decision to work with those who demonstrate their commitment by performing their required duties at all times.
“In terms of Section 75 sub-section 4 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe concerning the Right to Education, the government of Zimbabwe has already taken reasonable legislative and other measures with the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realization of the right to education.
“Unemployed trained teachers, university and college graduates in the sciences, engineering, technical, vocational areas and other disciplines who interested in joining the teaching profession should ensure that they are registered at the nearest district education office as the recruitment process shall begin soon after 22 February 2022,” reads the statement.
