The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
THE Teaching Professions Council Bill, which will operationalise the Teaching Professions Council (TPC), is set to be tabled before Parliament, as work towards setting up a professional body for educators gathers steam.
TPC is a professional body that is expected to regulate the operations and conduct of teachers in line with the new curriculum.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango told Sunday News last week that the bill would be tabled before Cabinet first before being taken to Parliament.
“As you heard the President (Mugabe) in his address, the Bill should be brought before Parliament in the 5th session of the 8th Parliament which he opened. The necessary paper work is being worked on to ensure that our draft actually follows due process.
“The Bill has to go through the Attorney General’s office, going through various stages including Cabinet, then Parliament,” she said.
Meanwhile, all teachers’ unions, except the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), have approved the Teaching Professions Council draft document. PTUZ have since written to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Lazarus Dokora informing him of their decision not to append signatures to the draft.
In a letter dated 10 September, the union’s secretary general Mr Raymond Majongwe said PTUZ had reached the decision after “a long and thorough interrogation of the document”.
He said: “We took a position to decline to sign the document for we have serious reservations with the proposed composition and the manner of election of the councillors to the TPC.”
However, all unions are in agreement on the need to set up a professional council for teachers but differ on how the council should be composed. PTUZ has previously raised concern over the Government leading the process of setting up the council, arguing that teachers were supposed to be at the forefront of the process. However, the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association has aired different sentiments, supporting the Government led initiative. Dr Utete-Masango said the refusal by PTUZ to append their signature to the document was of no consequence.
“The TPC is for teachers, not unions. It has nothing to do with the unions. The unions will not be disbanded because of the council, so why should they be worried?” she said.
Extensive consultations were held with representatives of teachers and other stakeholders in all the country’s 10 provinces ahead of crafting of the draft document which was recently recommended to President Mugabe. Stakeholders in the education sector have welcomed the idea of the TPC saying the council would help rid the sector of malcontents and standardise the profession.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association chief executive officer, Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said the council will help to safeguard the teaching profession by ensuring that one goes for training before practising. The Government has also been studying similar professional bodies for teachers in other African countries with the view of using them as a template to establish the TPC. The council is expected to be up and running by the end of this year.
@irielyan
