Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
INDEGINOUS knowledge systems can be harnessed to counter widespread lack of decent accommodation for teachers particularly in rural areas where as many as seven teachers share a room, Parliamentarians have said.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education which has been on a tour of the country’s provinces assessing conditions of service for teachers as well as learning conditions for pupils, said embracing indigenous knowledge systems to build traditional thatched huts could address the challenge.
Some schools have established bush boarding facilities to cater for children who travel long distances to school but teachers and pupils end up sharing accommodation because of the shortage.
Teachers have told the committee that sharing accommodation with pupils at these bush boarding facilities was demeaning.
Speaking during a meeting with parents and other stakeholders at Nyongolo Primary School in Matetsi, Hwange last Friday, the committee chairperson Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said shortage of accommodation for teachers was a common challenge especially in rural schools.
“It is very bad. Conditions of service especially shortage of accommodation is a big problem. Teachers are literally sharing rooms and in Nkayi we were told that as many as seven teachers share a single room and that is an area of concern. It’s an issue that the committee will take up with Government.
“Local authorities should start mobilising resources to improve accommodation at schools in their areas,” said Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga.
She said using local materials, councils and the local communities could build decent accommodation for their teachers
“It may not be corrugated sheets for roofing but thatched well built huts as what we have been seeing at some homesteads might provide decent accommodation for teachers while standard houses are being built. People are still stuck in wanting to do the modern way instead of using the traditional ones.
“We all travel around the country and sleep in nice lodges built with stone and thatched roof. We can do the same and it will be nice. People from other countries enjoy sleeping in such lodges and it could be good for our teachers,” said Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga.
She implored communities to work with well-wishers where necessary and use available resources as one of the interventions.
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga said the outbreak of Covid-19 also taught people to use locally available resources as public institutions around the country devised what has come to be known as “sgubhu gear” handwashing machine where a plastic water container is fixed onto some small upright poles tied to a string and stick which one steps on and water is discharged for washing hands.
She said similar strategies could be used to address poor communication caused by lack of mobile and road network in rural communities.
“There are a lot of places where they are saying there is no network. Perhaps we should get our TelOne to bring back the dial landline phones. I think that will work because some places have no network and teachers have to travel a long distance in search of network,” she said.
Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushonga commended some “teachers that have been resilient and continued teaching despite the poor conditions” and implored local authorities to use part of Devolution Funds to develop education facilities including teachers’ accommodation.
The committee met teachers from Matetsi, Breakfast and Nyongolo primary schools and Matetsi Secondary as well as parents from the area.
Teachers appealed to Government to urgently address conditions of service to boost morale.
Matetsi Secondary School Development Committee chairman Mr Emmanuel Shoko said the situation was dire and called on communities to assist in mobilising resources to develop schools infrastructure. — @ncubeleon
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