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Indications are that a team of inspectors from the Provincial Education Office visited a number of schools in the province and established that teachers were giving each other about 30 percent as incentives.
This is against the Government’s specification that teachers should get 10 percent as incentives.
Teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were given 14 days to reimburse the money or face arrest.
“Inspectors visited different schools last week and we think they are still going around the province. We were shocked to hear that there was a circular, which said incentives should be 10 percent. Most schools were giving teachers 30 percent and we understood that there was a circular to that effect. We did not know about this particular circular stating that teachers’ incentives should be 10 percent,” said a worried teacher.
“We heard that only a few schools in Hwange and Lupane were complying with the 10 percent circular requirement while the majority of teachers from other schools were given 14 days to return the money or else they will be arrested.”
The money dates back to 2011 and teachers are supposed to reimburse the money they received for 24 months. Some teachers reportedly repaid the money on payday last week, with some paying between $150 and $200 for the two years.
Even temporary teachers, whose contracts lapsed, were reportedly phoned and asked to reimburse the money.
It could not be established which schools were visited, but teachers spoken to said the officials visited most schools in Hwange and Lupane Districts.
Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni could not comment on the issue saying she was yet to get a report from the team that visited Hwange District.
“I was not in office and still have to get in touch with the deputy PED and the team that was in Hwange. If that is what has been happening, then that is fraud. Parents are struggling to develop schools and it is not good for them to be defrauded of their money. Incentives are just a way of trying to be generous to teachers for the good work they are doing and should not be taken as a money making business. We asked parents to help teachers because of the poor salaries and the Ministry allows us to get 10 percent only,” said Mrs Mnguni.
Some schools have an additional levy specifically meant for teachers’ incentives while some draw from fees paid by pupils.
However, there are some schools, whose teachers do not get incentives.
Teachers are paid incentives by the School Development Committees, but the law, which makes them liable to arrest, binds them.
Contacted for comment, the deputy Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Dr Lazarus Dokora said those who got more than 10 percent had committed an offence.
“There was a circular stating clearly that incentives should be 10 percent. That rule is very clear and anyone who breaks it is committing an offence. If they are being asked to repay that money they should not cry foul because that is public money. Once a parent pays fees to the school it is now public money and cannot be used anyhow,” said Dr Dokora.
He said the visits by Ministry officials to the schools were part of the Government’s policy of ensuring that sanity prevails at schools.
“The provincial office is part of the Government and officials are mandated to carry out such checks so that our schools are not abused,” Dr Dokora said.
The issue of incentives has in the past sparked outrage in the education sector, as they were deemed discriminatory. Last year the Government reversed its decision to scrap teachers’ incentives due to poor salaries and said they would stay until teachers’ remuneration improved.
Online Reporter