Government clarifies policy on ECD teachers deployment

GOVERNMENT has a clear policy regarding the deployment of Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers across the country and the need to have them teach children in their mother language, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Cde Torerai Moyo, has said.

The commitment to the full implementation of the Early Childhood Learning Policy, which dictates that ECD learners be taught using their mother language is further shown by the decentralisation of the teacher recruitment process.

Minister Moyo’s clarification puts to rest public anxiety over concerns regarding the deployment of teachers in provinces.

The debate follows a recent incident in which Bubi constituency legislator, Simelisizwe Sibanda, who was last week relieved of his duties as Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development by President Mnangagwa, publicly apologised for mishandling the issue of a non-Ndebele-speaking teacher deployed to one of the local schools in his constituency.

“We are not going to deviate from the standing position regarding our early childhood learning policy, it’s very clear,” said Minister Moyo in an interview.

“Learners at the ECD level must and should be taught using their mother language and this is why we have decentralised teacher recruitment to the district level where our district schools inspectors are working with officials from the Public Service Commission to recruit teachers.

“In so doing, they look at the prospective teacher’s language of communication while at college.”

Added the Primary and Secondary Education Minister: “As Government, we are very steadfast in making sure the policy is fully implemented. ECD learners must be taught in their mother language that is not debatable.”

There have been views that learners in rural areas could be struggling due to poor communication while some analysts also blame limited infrastructure, which forces some learners to walk long distances to school. The Government recommends that learners must not walk for more than five kilometres to the nearest school.

“A human being thinks and conceptualises issues using the brain, whatever one does comes from that and if a child, as delicate as they will be, begins to see and know life from a language that they don’t understand or know, it affects them for the rest of their lives.

“That is what and how they will do anything, so it is crucial that this policy must be robustly implemented,” retired educationist, Mr Adam Bango, said.

Social and political scientist, Mr Teddy Ncube, commended the Government’s reformed approach to teacher deployment saying this reflects its steadfast commitment to equitable development and national cohesion.

“Policies ensure teachers are deployed respecting cultural dynamics, particularly in Early Childhood Development. This aligns with efforts to improve infrastructure, enhance teacher training and foster positive community attitudes toward education,” he said.