#StateofTheNation Scary how the President avoided tackling real challenges affecting our people
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Association (Artuz) has described President Mnangagwa’s Sona as ‘scary’ arguing it glossed over issue of national importance and avoided tackling real challenges affecting our people.
Artuz said in a statemw t the President, when he attempted to engage in detail, he either completely misled the nation or focused on detail of peripheral importance.
For example in education he mentions some illusionary momentum including ICT penetration. No strategy on education financing to curb massive number of dropouts we are witnessing. Nothing on teacher welfare and morale. Nothing on bridging the glaring infrastructure gaps.
What was even more scary was his view of the Teacher Professional Council. He says the Council will regulate conditions of service and create a code of conduct.
Conditions of service are fixed through Collective Bargaining between Worker Representatives and the Employer in line with section 203 b (1) read together with s 65 (5) of the constitution.
The code of conduct of Teachers in the Public Sector is mainly a baby of the employer Public Service with the TPC supposed to focus more on professional development and professional conduct. This exposes the attitude of government towards TPC, their TPC is not for teachers but a tool to punish teachers. Such a TPC will be rejected.
We welcome the announcement that the Public Service Act will be amended by this session of Parly. The new PSA should embrace s 65 providing for right to strike, right to collective bargaining among other basic rights hitherto denied to Civil Servants. The advocacy from the Union and other actors to ensure that a progressive act is produced should continue. We made progress on this front.
