Rural teachers deserve better incentives-NAQEZ

Mon, 13 Mar 2017 10:30:31 +0000

By KELVIN SIABANA

THERE is need to give teachers in rural areas and  other  far-flung  parts of Zambia better incentives for the benefit of the school-going children, says National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) executive director Aaron Chansa.

Mr Chansa said the few teachers in rural areas were working under very difficult conditions.

He said most of the teachers lived without basic social amenities while their upward career mobility was undefined.

He said due to the difficult conditions teachers encountered in rural areas, the situation has negatively affected the provision of education in rural schools.

“NAQEZ therefore demands for the introduction of a deliberate policy that will genuinely motivate teachers to stay happily in the remote parts of our country,” Mr Chansa said.

He said that it was unquestionable that teachers held the key to quality education provision in rural parts of Zambia because they were the main drivers of education, hence the need to motivate them.

“We need to have a ready path of  promotion for teachers who serve in the  remote areas for  a period of three  years and these teachers should automatically come into better places once they serve in rural areas for three years,”  Mr Chansa said.

He said once this move was fully and well implemented, it would help in retaining teachers who were fond of running away from rural schools.

The executive director said there was need to pay special attention to the well-being of teachers in rural areas to enhance education standards.