THE LAUNCH OF THE CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR TEACHERS “Remarks on Teacher Development Programs” By Teacher Trade Union Fraternity ZIMTA, PTUZ, TUZ SALUTATION Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. R.G. Mugabe The Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Honourable Doctor Lazarus Dokora. The Minister for Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Honourable Doctor Olivia Muchena. Other Cabinet Ministers here present Deputy Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Honourable Professor Paul Mavhima. & other Deputy Ministers Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs C. Chigwamba. UNICEF Representative Fellow Educators. Comrades in the Trade Union fraternity, ZIMTA, PTUZ and TUZ. Ladies and Gentlemen. 1.0 PREAMBLE We gather today, to mark a historic and also transformational event that promises to herald a new epoch in teacher education, teacher career development and Zimbabwe’s run in the race for quality education. This is a new start after our unheralded access and expansion of education in the decade 1980 – 1990. 2.0 IMPORTANCE OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT 2.1 As teacher trade unions, we subscribe to the notion of teacher development. We believe educating teachers is a vital component of our system in becoming modern, and at the same time allows us to synthesise what has been valuable and timeless in our teaching traditions with what is good and valuable in modern thought. 2.2 Good quality education is to a large extent impacted on by quality teachers. Quality teachers are teachers who have received best possible, pre-service and in-service training, i.e. training all the time throughout one’s career. Teachers require continuous training in order to adapt to new teaching and learning methods. 2.3 Yes, Colleges and Universities train our teachers but the debate is, is this education, gained a year or years ago adequate to the changing needs of modern Zimbabwe and most importantly the needs of the young generation, hence the support we give to this program. 3.0 CAUTIONARY VIEWS 3.1 As we embark on this journey and speaking without privileged knowledge of the roll out strategy of the program, we are bound to believe that: 3.1.1 Stakeholders like unions will play significant roles in the program or its rollout? 3.1.2 With His Excellency’s principled stance on graft which has become endemic in our systems, this program will be rolled out in a transparent manner that guarantee, regional or educational sectorial equity and fairness. 3.1.3 Once educators have been re-tooled or re-skilled, strategies will be crafted to reverse or even halt brain drain, thereby retaining our best teachers in the country. 3.2 Further to the foregoing views, we think this program would do well if it were to be structured in such a manner that school heads and education officers are also re-tooled in educational management skills that can sharpen education administrators in areas like Human Resource Management, Financial Management to mention just but a few. 3.3 We have no doubt that, as we roll out the program, we will see concerted efforts in aligning Manpower Development Leave Regulations with this positive thrust. The current conditions do not reward career development, instead they act as a dis incentive, as they tax educators’ salary while on study leave. 4.0 CONCLUSION We take this opportunity to congratulate you, Your Excellency and Government, the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education and his Directorate for hatching this program. We encourage further innovation for the good of our education system and quality delivery of the same, and for quality output. We thank you. Ndlovu Sifiso ZIMTA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 10:01:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015