Teachers should be deployed in areas of origin – Education Minister

Tateguru Writer

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Evelyn Ndlovu has told Parliament to consider reintroducing decentralized recruitment of teachers, as a way to deal with corruption in the placement of teachers across the country.

Speaking in Parliament, during yesterday`s Question and Answer session, Minister Ndlovu said her ministry is being affected by corruption surrounding teacher recruitment and placement.

“…this Parliament reversed decentralisation of the recruitment of teachers. This was done in a purported quest to curb corruption and this is really affecting the Ministry. I therefore implore this august House to consider intervening in this issue so that the recruitment of teachers is decentralized,” said Minister Ndlovu.

She said decentralization would also solve the issue of appropriate placement of teaching personnel.
People in Matabeleland have long complained that people not conversant in their local languages have been deployed to teach in their schools.

Minister Ndlovu said she is in conversation with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, where they are considering sending teachers to their areas of origin.

“There are a lot of trained teachers all over the country. For instance, if someone comes from Gokwe, then they should be deployed in schools in their local areas. The Ministry is therefore seized with the issue of coming up with a policy to address this anomaly. I therefore request that the Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education should consider reversing the decision on the centralisation of recruitment of teachers,” said Minister Ndlovu.

It is however feared that if the policy is promulgated it will promote regionalism and tribalism, and subsequent localised xenophobia against those teachers that choose to work in areas outside their regions of origin. A careful balance must therefore be struck

Government is expected to recruit 5000 teachers this year, and they are working on a policy to ensure that there is decentralized recruitment as the vacancies are filled.