The government of Zimbabwe has announced plans to recruit 10 000 teachers in 2022 in a bid to reduce the teacher-to-pupil ratio and decongest schools.
While presenting the 2022 national budget last Thursday, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube $11.6 billion will be allocated to the education sector.
He said the main objective is to decongest schools and support the infrastructural refurbishment of both primary and secondary, and tertiary education institutions.
The current teaching workforce is around 136 000, while the teacher-to-pupil ratio is 1:70 on average. Ncube said:
Government seeks to reduce the teacher-to-pupil ratio, and has set aside resources for the recruitment of 10 000 teachers in 2022.
To implement the ministry’s priority projects, an amount of $11.6 billion is being allocated to the Primary and Secondary Education ministry under the 2022 national budget. The demand for education services covering primary, secondary, higher and tertiary levels have been growing over the years. This has not been matched with infrastructural development programmes due to resource and capacity constraints, among others.
He added that the need to decongest existing schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduction of walking distance has prompted the need for additional facilities.
The minister also said there will be a need to procure information communication technology gadgets to promote e-learning during the COVID-19 era.
Meanwhile, teachers have in the past two years been protesting periodically over poor salaries and working conditions.
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