The College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe has said the issue of lecturers leaving the country for greener pastures abroad has become a trend.
This has left Zimbabwe’s tertiary institutions facing acute staff shortages, NewsDay reported citing College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe president David Dzatsunga.
He said the brain drain at universities intensified this year. Dzatsunga said:
The issue of lecturers leaving colleges has been happening for some years and has become a trend.
It is said that some universities and colleges recruited underqualified lecturers to replace skilled personnel which left the country for greener pastures a development that is reportedly compromising the quality of learning.
Some institutions are reportedly relying on part-time lecturers.
Students’ representatives told NewsDay yesterday that the lack of lecturers at the institutions had disrupted learning, resulting in longer semesters.
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) was forced to postpone some of its examinations scheduled for last week because students had not completed their modules due to a shortage of lecturers.
University and college workers have in recent years embarked on periodic strikes over poor salaries and risky working conditions.