Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:25:33 +0000
By Sandra Machima
THE Teaching Council of Zambia has been asked to immediately remove all teachers with fake qualifications from the teaching service, to bring sanity to the education sector, Action for Governance Forum executive director Justin Mushoke has said.
Mr Mushoke commended the TCZ for having fished out teachers with fake documents when a huge number of qualified teachers were still not recruited.
Mr Mushoke alleged that there was a possibility of high levels of corruption which was involved for those officials to have been given those positions, saying the Ministry needs to quickly save its image by clearing the air to the public.
He also appealed to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to thoroughly investigate the criteria the Ministry of General Education was using to recruit teachers with fake documents at the expense of qualified teachers.
He said it was disappointing that among the unqualified teachers were District Education Board Secretaries (DEBS) and Head teachers with fake qualifications particularly that they were key officials in the administration who should lead by examples.
Mr Mushoke said the increased number of teachers with fake qualifications in this country should worry every concerned citizen, adding that employment of those officials at higher level with questionable qualifications was the invitation of corruption in the Ministry of General Education.
“These teachers with fake qualifications should explain properly on how they found themselves in the teaching profession without proper qualifications.
“This calls upon the Teaching Council to ensure that all the teachers with fake qualifications are removed from the teaching service, and help to ensure that the education system in the country is respected locally and internationally,” he said.
Mr Mushoke said the high level of cheating in the education sector was not healthy for the development of the country, noting that the country had huge number of qualified teachers that were not recruited and with traceable qualifications to serve in the teaching service.
“It is so unfortunate that teachers without proper qualifications have been employed and some of them were even given big positions without proper traceable qualifications for them to have such positions, and yet the majority who were eligible are left in streets,” he said.
Mr Mushoke challenged the Ministry of General Education to be inspecting some schools vigorously and be serious when it comes to the selection of teachers.
He said education was a driver of development and needs seriousness attention it deserved from the people that were concerned if the education system in this country was to be appreciated.
He said Zambia needs serious teachers who could produce good students in society, noting that some of these young men and women with qualifications had been denied chances because of those corrupt elements in the teaching service.
Zambia is in need of young people with positive attitude towards education by passing through the hands of qualified teachers.
