Hwange primary school opens with one teacher

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
A SCHOOL in Hwange, which failed to open for the third term due to a shortage of teachers, has opened after only one teacher reported for duty on Monday.
The teacher is teaching the Grade Seven class only ahead of pupils’ public examinations slated for next month.

Pupils from Grade One to Six have no teachers and parents have been urged to look for volunteers to teach their children.

Nengasha Primary School failed to open early this month when other schools opened after its teacher who doubles up as its headmistress did not turn up for work.

The teacher, identified only as Mrs Zhou, only started reporting for duty on Monday.

Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director Mrs Boitatelo Mnguni yesterday said although the teacher has now reported for duty, she is teaching the Grade Seven class only.

“That is what she is capable of teaching at the moment,” said Mrs Mnguni.

She said the Public Service Commission was aware of the shortage of teachers in Matabeleland North and they were waiting for them to recruit.

The PED said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education was urging parents to seek volunteers to teach their children.

“We’ve encouraged them to seek the services of old temporary teachers just like schools in other communities.

“We’re appealing to those who can volunteer services to assist the children,” she said.

The school was established in 1983 for the Hwange East community.

Parents with children at Nengasha Primary School last week told The Chronicle that the school was the only hope for their children to get an education.

The parents said they cannot risk transferring their children to the nearest school, Dinde Primary School, which is about 14KM away.

They said transferring their children would be risky due to the potential of attacks by wild animals as they live near Hwange National Park.

The parents complained that their children have not benefited much at school this year as they last had a full complement of teachers during the first term.

According to the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association, the country has over 25 000 unemployed teachers.—@nqotshili.