The government says it will only pay teachers who are reporting for duty and those charging pupils for extra lessons will be fired.
This follows reports that some teachers across the country were no longer reporting for duty and those who were going to work were not teaching.
Teachers and civil servants, in general, have been pushing for a living wage since 2019 as their current salaries are pitiful.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema said the ministry was now invoking the principle of paying only those teachers reporting for duty. He said:
We are summoning the principle of no work no salary with immediate effect. Teachers who do not report for duty or those who go to their schools and not do their work will not be paid.
We have requested school heads to compile lists of such names and we will forward them to the Public Service Commission so that those not doing their work will not be paid.
Mathema said the government was aware of teachers’ remuneration concerns and they are being addressed through the proper channels.
Mathema further warned teachers doing private extra lessons for a premium that they were not allowed to do so. He said:
Government is also warning teachers who are doing private lessons.
There is a trend that some teachers are no longer doing their jobs at schools, but doing private lessons instead.
That is not allowed and the Government is following up on these unlawful acts.