This edition of ARTUZ’s weekly newsletter covers the arrest of their members during a demonstration for a living wage, the #EDUVOTE campaign and why government’s move to close private schools is ill informed. Read on to get informed.
Arrest of ARTUZ Members Inspired Us- Teachers
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has been inspired by the recent arrest of its members to continue pressing the government for better pay and improved conditions. Sixteen ARTUZ members were detained for days in remand prison after their arrest in Harare where they had staged a protest demanding United States dollar salaries. On Saturday, the ARTUZ leadership descended in Chivhu as they forged ahead with the #SaveOurEducationZw campaign to press authorities to redirect more funding to education. The campaign was launched recently in Bulawayo where the ARTUZ also petitioned Parliamentarians on the need to save the education sector which suffers government neglect.
#EDUVOTE Campaign Goes A Gear Up
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) #EDUVOTE campaign went a gear up last week with the association engaging rural communities across the country on the right to education. The ARTUZ team met rural communities in Zaka, Kariba, Chikomba, Binga and Chipinge raising community consciousness on the need to prioritize education. The campaign seeks to raise awareness on the need to register to vote and take part in national processes that shape the national discourse. “The response was overwhelming and there was genuine interest in the matter at hand especially after parents saw for themselves the disastrous response mechanism for education in times of a national disaster with learners especially in rural areas who do not have the financial capacity to access online learning or one on one tutorials,” the ARTUZ said in a statement.
Closing Private Schools not the Answer
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has condemned the closure of private schools in Harare as meaningless without adressing problems affecting the public education system. Atleast 48 private school owners have been arrested, and 66 private schools closed by the Primary and Secondary Education ministry on allegations of operating illegally. The ministry has threatened to close a further 400 private schools over licensing issues. A number of private schools have sprouted across the country providing relief to learners as the country’s public education system is overstretched, and lacks basic learning material like text textbooks. In a statement, the ARTUZ said closing private schools without addressing the public education system crisis is akin to ‘throwing the baby with the water.’
Read the full newsletter here (2MB PDF)
Source: ARTUZ
