By Evans Dakwa and Tito Malowe
Formal employment has been a persistent challenge for Zimbabweans, both educated and uneducated, since the turn of the millennium. While a few professions, such as teaching, once offered guaranteed employment, the tide has turned. The scourge of unemployment, which had spared teachers for years, has finally caught up with them.
Investigations by Goromondo News reveal heartbreaking tales of trained teachers who have gone for as long as seven years without securing formal employment. What makes their struggle unique is that the need for teachers in Zimbabwe remains high, yet thousands of trained educators remain jobless.
The Zimbabwean government has acknowledged the need to reduce the teacher-to-pupil ratio to manageable levels of 1:25–35, depending on the level of education. Currently, teachers grapple with overcrowded classrooms, in some cas50 pupils.
“I am very disappointed because soon after completing my degree, I was hoping to be employed. Now, all those hopes are in vain. I tried working in private schools, but the difference is negligible because these private schools are devaluing our profession. They pay as little as $100 per month—a salary earned by housemaids or garden boys. We have no choice but to work there since we aren’t being recruited by the government. It’s disheartening to see a degree holder being led by someone with only an O-Level certificate simply because they have money. I’m not happy at all,” said a female teacher who graduated in 2018.
She added on saying it might be appropriate for teacher training institutions to limit the numbers or even stop further training until the ones already trained are assimilated into the system.
“The government should stop training teachers for now and focus on recruiting and building more schools. How many institutions in Zimbabwe are producing teachers each year? Where will these teachers go and teach? The government must first clear the backlog. The recent extension of the retirement age to 70 is adding salt to the wound. How long must we wait for those already employed to retire before we get a chance? It’s not fair. Do you think I still remember what I was taught years ago? What about curriculum changes? How will I be familiar with the current curriculum while sitting at home? The government and the Public Service Commission (PSC) must act quickly,”she adds.
Another trained teacher who has gone through the same ignominy said the whole situation is dream shattering for the passionate teacher.
“I trained to acquire knowledge and impart it to learners, but the PSC (Public Service Commission) has used its own recruitment methods, and I’m still waiting. I worked in a private school because I wanted to gain experience and I have a passion for my profession. However, the government should employ all trained teachers. We are ready to serve, but the opportunities are not there.”
A trainer of teachers st one of the teacher training colleges identified by the alias Bento said the obtaining situation is draining for the trained teachers denting their self esteem.
“The unemployment crisis has negatively affected trained teachers to a great extent. Their morale is very low because they know that after finishing their course, they are unlikely to be employed. This has also impacted the number of prospective students enrolling in teacher training colleges—the decline is immense. Even the zeal to achieve distinctions has waned because students no longer see the value in excelling when there are no job prospects, said Bento.
He went to proffer suggestions to the Government to ease the situation.
“I think the government should scrap the recently introduced extension of pensionable years to open avenues for recent graduates. Additionally, private schools should be monitored to ensure they pay reasonable salaries. More Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with countries in need of labour, like the Rwandan program, could help. The government should also open posts, especially in remote areas where shortages are acute. Reintroducing relief teachers and allowing permanent teachers to take their vacation leaves could also create temporary opportunities for unemployed teachers.”
Stories of these teachers highlight a systemic issue that requires urgent attention. While the government has acknowledged the need for more teachers and schools, the implementation of solutions has been slow. The extension of the retirement age, though perhaps well-intentioned, has worsened the problem, leaving thousands of trained teachers in limbo.
At the end of 2024, government promised to recruit 8000 teachers in 2025 with half of those expected to be filled in the first quarter of the year.It is days before the first quarter comes to an end and the expected mass recruitment is yet to be done. Teachers will be hoping the Government will follow on its word like they did last year when at least 5000 teachers were recruited.
