Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Binga South legislator, Fanuel Cumanzala, has expressed dismay that the government continues to deploy teachers in Binga who cannot speak Tonga, despite the availability of qualified Tonga-speaking teachers.
Cumanzala raised the issue in the National Assembly, challenging the Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Torerai Moyo, to explain the government’s policy regarding the deployment of Early Childhood Development teachers to the Binga district.
“There are infants being taught by teachers who cannot converse in Tonga, while there are qualified Tonga-speaking teachers still awaiting recruitment and are on the waiting list,” he asserted.
“My question is, are there any specific guidelines regarding this process? I have evidence that, at the time of writing this question, Harare was still deploying teachers to Binga.
“I interviewed these teachers, and they confirmed they were from Harare. I have a database of local teachers, which I attached to the question sent through the Journals Office, to ensure the ministry understands that this concern is evidence-based.
“There has been some progress, as about three-quarters of the people on the database have now been employed. This is a significant improvement.”
In response, Moyo informed Parliament that government policy mandates deploying teachers who are familiar with the language spoken in a particular area.
He stated that Binga was one of the first districts to be considered for decentralised deployment, meaning teachers from the area are prioritised and required to sign four-year contracts preventing transfers within that period.
He also acknowledged the MP’s recognition of the ministry’s efforts to decentralise the recruitment process.
Source SouthernEye
