Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) calls on Lazarus Dokora to immediately step down as Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. The call comes at a time when Zimbabweans across all walks of life have made a loud and clear call for President Robert Mugabe to immediately resign as President of Zimbabwe.
ARTUZ has consistently mantained that Dokora is the worst Minister of Education that Zimbabwe has had since Independence. He has remained at the helm of this critical sector of Zimbabwe because of bootlicking Mugabe and his wife Grace. It is therefore only prudent for Dokora to step down along with the beleaguered President Mugabe.
Dokora’s many sins include disastrous formulation and implementation of a new curriculum, introduction of Grade 7 examination fees undermining the right to basic education for all. Dokora is also guilty of threatening teachers and embarking on constituting an exclusive Teacher Professional Council (TPC).
Further Dokora is guilty of failing to reign in on Zimsec which continues to leak examination papers thereby discrediting the country’s examination system.
In the new era that Zimbabwe is entering incompetent ministers like Dokora should be thrown out and replaced by capable and competent leaders with a commitment to transforming our education system for the better.
As a union we also call for immediate reforms which include:
- Immediate stopping of TPC set up until all teachers are consulted and allowed to vote for it at referendum
- Scrapping of the shambolic curriculum put in place by Dokora
- An end to the opaque 7.5% pension contributions
- 100% to salary rural attraction and retention allowance
- Setting up of an education equalisation fund
- Ring fencing all salaries in US dollars.
Tomorrow the Union will serve Minister Dokora with a letter demanding him to step down within 24 hours failure of which will prompt us to mobilise citizens and teachers to stage “save our education protests!” Country wide.
We are confident the Zimbabwe Defense Forces will allow us to exercise our democratic rights as spelt out in the Bill of Rights. The ZDF has so far consistently shown unparalleled respect for constitutionalism.
Source: Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ)
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