The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Ptuz) have called on new Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Paul Mavima to right the wrongs of his former boss and predecessor, the much-maligned Lazarus Dokora. The teachers want their vacation leave to be reinstated saying that Dokora had unjustly scrapped it. In a statement Artuz said:
The issue of vacation should be addressed as a matter of urgency. Our position will remain clear guided by ILO standards workers and in this case, teachers should be accorded the right to their leave.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Ptuz) added:
We are aware that … Mavima has injured the trust from teachers on two occasions as Dokora’s deputy. He reportedly called teachers drunkards and threatened to dismiss some.
An investigation into a few cases of drunkenness and unprecedented increase of suicide cases among teachers would have helped the learned professor to appreciate the increase of stress among teachers and their students because of the commandist approach of Dokora and the evil of poverty.
More: Daily News
Consider as well the rural retention allowance because the $14 dollars you are currently paying as rural allowance is an insult at its highest level. Reduce the unnecessary workload you have burdened both the teachers and learners with which is not justified at all i tend to wonder if the person who gave that directive on tasks and projects knows exactly what goes on at schools. You should come to the ground and see for yourself the mess that has been created as a result of these numerous tasks and as a result pupils find it very difficult to cope and balance between the main syllabus which surpisingly contributes 70% and these tasks which they now spend all their time on contributing only 30%. The result is zero percent pass rate as pupils will complete their schooling having wasted their effort on these tasks, its like pupils are now going to school for these tasks only which is very disturbing. Please listen to the people a policy was crafted by people and can be changed by people. You cant go against the whole nation jus becoz of a document written by Ndziramasanga and friends.