Zimbabwe: schools paralyzed by teachers' strike
Queen Elizabeth School in Harare, March 30, 2020. Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
In Zimbabwe, schools, colleges and high schools did not reopen their doors on Monday, September 28 after six months of closure linked to the Covid epidemic.
The eight teachers' unions in the country have launched an unlimited strike movement.
They denounce the depreciation of their salaries, but also the lack of means and equipment to protect themselves from the pandemic.
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Hundreds of schools remained empty on Monday at the call of the eight teachers' unions in the country.
For months, they have been asking for a revaluation of their salaries paid in local currency, which is now only worth the equivalent of 40 US dollars.
An insult according to Raymond Majongwe, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Progressive Teachers Union.
“
Two years ago, we earned the equivalent of $ 550, today we are between 30 and 40. This is unacceptable and shows that the government does not respect its teachers.
Just like in the Mugabe era, he sees us as enemies of the state
.
"
Teachers cannot feed their families, let alone pay for school fees for their children.
Robson Chere, general secretary of the teachers' union, Artuz
Alexandra Brangeon
Unicef's call
The problem is that the local currency - reintroduced last year - has literally collapsed in recent months.
As a result: “
Public teachers can't even afford to come to work anymore
,” says Robson Chere of the Zimbabwe Rural Teachers Union.
“
With $ 30 you can't even cover your transportation costs to and from work.
It costs two dollars round trip per day.
A piece of bread costs $ 1.
Teachers cannot feed their families, let alone pay for school fees for their children
.
"
According to these unions, 5.6 million primary and secondary school children are affected by this strike.
They are asking that exams scheduled for December be suspended, as the children have only had three months of school this year, due to the coronavirus epidemic.
The United Nations Agency for Children, Unicef, has called for the reopening of schools so that children can return to school.
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Zimbabwe
Education
Coronavirus