THE GOVERNMENT FOCUSES ON TEACHER UPGRADES, PROMOTIONS AND RECRUITMENT AS A WAY OF PROMOTING SANITY RESTORATION IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN 2023

*THE GOVERNMENT FOCUSES ON TEACHER UPGRADES, PROMOTIONS AND RECRUITMENT AS A WAY OF PROMOTING SANITY RESTORATION IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN 2023*

30th September, 2022

Wilfred Musape and Mwalimu Patrick

It is clear from the pronouncements made on Education on the floor of National Assembly by the Honourable Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane that the government has realized the need to restore sanity in the running and management of government schools in Zambia by way of focusing on Upgrades, Promotions and Recruitments. Therefore, one does not need to be a rocket scientist to understand the language from the Minister that the Auditor General Report 2017-2021 has ignited the need for restoration of sanity in government schools.

The Auditor’s General Report 2017-2021 on page 47 reported that by 31st July, 2022 the Ministry of Education had a *total of 10,570 Primary and Secondary schools across the country* of which *6,897 (65%) Primary and Secondary Schools* had audit queries Whereas, only *3,673 (35%) Primary and Secondary Schools* were operating properly and have no audit queries.

These schools can be segmented as follows;

*1. 1,945* (ungazetted schools)

*2. 2,094* (gazetted schools without PMEC establishment registers)

*3. 1,567* (Schools with partial PMEC establishment registers and treasury authority)

*4. 1,291* (Schools with establishment registers
without Treasury Authority)

*5. 3,673* ( Schools with correct PMEC establishment registers and Treasury Authority)

In addition, to the 10,570 Primary and Secondary Schools currently in operations, the government wishes to add two categories of schools in 2023 as follows.

*1. 115* -the government wishes to complete the construction of 115 schools in 2023 that have remained incomplete as far as 2010.

*2. 120* – With help of the World Bank the government will construct 120 secondary schools more in 2023.

Once these schools are completed in 2023, the Ministry of Education will have *a total number of 10,803* Primary and Secondary Schools county wide.

Arising from these identified challenges in the Ministry of Education that makes it almost impossible to promote sanity in government schools (6897 (65%) by way teachers upgrade, promotions and recruitments the government has moved in to sort out these pertinent issues below come 2023;

1. The 6,897(65%) schools have in them teachers working as Senior Teachers, Heads of Department, Deputy Head Teachers and Head Teachers who have been working for many years on Administrative Convenience.

2. The 6,897(65%) schools have in them have close 20,000 plus teachers that have been teaching without being upgraded for so many years despite acquiring highest qualifications.

3. The 6,897(65%) schools have in them schools that were declared by word of mouth that from today you are an upgraded school without supporting infrastructure such as additional classrooms and science laboratories

4. The 6,897(65%) schools have in them schools that have been operating without Payroll Management Establishment Control (PMEC) for many years either as Combined Schools or separate.

5. The 6,897(65%) schools have in them the schools that have never seen the faces of Education Standards Officers coming to check out standards adherence in schools because if such was the case they wouldn’t have appeared in Auditor General’s Report 2017-2021.

Henceforth, from our own perspectives, in order to deal with these identified challenges, the government has seen it worth to make 2023 as a year of reorganizing the government schools as it is unacceptable to continue sending government grants in schools that are not properly organized as that itself is an audit query and tantamount to promoting illegality in government schools by government.

Further, in reorganizing the government schools with the current number of teachers standing at *135, 744* working in government and aided schools, the government has predicted the need to employ *4500* more teachers in the 2023 so as to balance up the numbers of teachers during the reorganization process.

In conclusion, at the end of reorganizing 6,897(65%) schools, teacher promotions, upgrades and recruitments and infrastructure developments, it will be equal to employing close to 20,000 teachers because upgrades, promotions and recruitments (4500) demands new salary scales. Indeed it is unacceptable to continue legalizing the illegality of schools and use of administrative convenience teachers across country in schools that were improperly sanctioned, hence the need to put our schools in order before more good things are taken into schools.

*Zikomo chintu chabwino maningi*