Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) today held a successful community with Chitungwiza parents who acknowledged that parents are incapacitated to report for work.
Key to the discussions was identification of teacher/parent conflict of interest.
Though parents clearly outlined that their main point of interest is accessibility of quality education by their children, they also made clear that currently teachers are grossly incapacitated to attend classes.
The parents pledged to support teachers in their quest to take teacher issues to doorsteps of responsible authorities.
As a stop gap measure amidst the current crisis, ARTUZ pledged to hold free classes in Community Halls for exam sitting classes while a permanent solution from the government.
The Union also stressed out that once their issues are resolved, teachers are ready to make up for lost classes time.
ARTUZ is also going to help parents deal with teachers who capitalize on the current crisis by extorting parents through extra lessons and new curriculum learning materials.
As a pro-poor Union, we implore the government to honor is pledge for education for all by 2020 through subsidizing running costs for schools and BEAM scheme.
Government also needs to be reminded that it is their constitutional obligation to ensure accessibility of basic education.
As such, we urge schools whose pupils have outstanding fees to sue the government for reneging on its constitutional mandate.
As part of the resolutions, the parents implored Chitungwiza City Council to vacate school premises they are currently operating from.
There was also a general consensus that land barons who unlawfully occupied land meant for schools should be evicted with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, a parents Education Board was set up to supervise schools and raise awareness on issues to do with education in the area.
Source: Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ)