Of promotions, conflicts in schools

Freedom Mutanda
FOUR months ago, many teachers smiled their way into the warm chairs of deputy headship. Some acting heads graduated into headship. A new era visited schools in different dimensions. Are these promotions adding value to the education ministry or it is just a journey of self aggrandisement for the beneficiaries of promotions?
More posts have been advertised by the Civil Service Commission to fill the deputy heads and heads positions that had arisen within the public service. In the coming two weeks it will be big business for the stationery stores as various things have to be bought to fulfil the requirements for the promotions to be expedited.

A while ago, progressing from being a senior teacher into the deputy head’s office was a sign of hard work and persistent quality service to the public service. Many a teacher envied the transition and waited anxiously for the time she would be given the keys when her turn came as it surely would come.

Some months ago, The Manica Post columnist, Morris Mtisi, laboured to expose the politics of conflict that pervades many educational institutions throughout Zimbabwe. Of course, there are no schools that deliberately teach administration.

At college every trainee teacher is taught principles of administration and management; thus, the teacher has rudimentary knowledge of headship. Because of that, if she feels that the head is over-stepping her line of demarcation, she may respond negatively.

“No one was taught to be a head!” Some unscrupulous teachers say mischievously.
There may be a grain of truth in that although the Zimbabwe Open University has a programme that trains aspiring Educational administrators.

We will have an unending debate if we are to start an argument on characteristics of a good head. The bone of contention is whether the students benefit extensively when their teacher has been promoted. It is the writer’s considered view that in more ways than one, the student loses at the end of the day when her teacher makes an upward movement professionally.

These past four months have seen some long- serving acting heads being replaced unceremoniously by a relative newcomer to the art of administration. What is the reason for that? It was because the former acting head was not a degree holder. Some heads had acted for almost two decades at the same school so much that everyone called them ‘‘headmaster’’ in the community they are domiciled.

It is common knowledge that once someone detests reading for a higher qualification, then promotion can hardly visit that person. At university level, ZIMCHE is part of the quality control authority in our country. For that reason, many lecturers were urged or nudged to attain doctoral degrees for them to remain relevant as university lecturers. To that end, many of them rushed to fulfil a requirement.

Therefore, the ministry decided to use a first degree as a requirement for anyone to be promoted. Deputy heads were given a grace period to attain those qualifications and most of them dithered with the result that they had to make way for a new broom after they had been at the helm for a long time.

It is my submission that those acting non-degreed heads must have been given first preference in promotion and then a time limit was given to them to have qualified by such and such a date. That way, the powers that be would have shown their appreciation for someone who held fort when it mattered most.

I believe a parallel process to reward hard workers must be considered so that those teachers who wish to remain in the classroom are allowed to do so without having to take administration duties. It is possible. Surely, we can’t all be heads even though we may possess the qualifications.

Teaching is an inborn talent. At times, we may wish to revisit the eternal argument: are leaders/teachers born or made? Psychologists and philosophers will never reach an agreement. There is an argument on the biology being the sole determinant or the environment intruding on issues that cannot be tackled from one direction.

Promotions are good inasfar as those aspiring for leadership positions are concerned, but they take a sinister look when many teachers at a school are promoted. To them, it is an advantage but the children have to adapt to a life without their good Mathematics teacher as she assumes higher duties.

Given a choice, most teachers would rather see their remuneration increased while they remain at the school, than for them to be called ‘‘shefu’’ by other teachers when they assume leadership away from the place they used to call home.

Coming to Morris Mtisi’s take on conflict at school, it is my view that teachers have to pay ultimate respect to the administration. Importantly, the heads don’t have to be demigods when they are at school. Communication will always be a weapon to fight factionalism.

Heads must be as impartial as possible in dealing with their staff. Respect is earned. Once one demands respect, people are reluctant to accord respect to those heads. Gone are the days when dictatorial tendencies carried the day. Heads have to communicate their concerns with every teacher in matters that affect the development of the school. Shunning junior members’ ideas in formulating school policy may be counter-productive in the long run.