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Zimbabwe school teachers sell sweets to survive
ZimOnline
February 27, 2006

http://www.zimonline.co.za/headdetail.asp?ID=11678

HARARE - Thirteen-year old Cynthia Moyo, a pupil at a primary school in the leafy suburb of Emerald Hill in Harare, is in a quandary.

Cynthia's no-nonsense headmaster has assigned her and other pupils at the school, the unenviable task of reporting to him any teachers they see selling sweets and home-made cakes to pupils.

"It is like I am being made to spy on my teachers," she says rather uncomfortably.

"The majority of teachers are selling things, especially sweets and scones which they bring from home. But the headmaster says we must report these teachers to him," says Cynthia.

The teaching profession, once highly regarded in Zimbabwe, has sunk to low levels after six years of a bitter economic recession critics blame on President Robert Mugabe's mismanagement of the economy.

Thousands of teachers, complaining of pitiable salaries and poor conditions of service have also fled the country in droves over the past six years to seek better opportunities elsewhere.

But for thousands of others who have remained in Zimbabwe, the struggle for survival is becoming tougher each day forcing them to engage in petty trade in class, vending sweets and home-baked cakes to their pupils in order to supplement their salaries.

A primary school teacher at a school in Harare, Patricia Nezungai, says she is not bothered by the fact that she sells sweets and cookies to her students. She says until the government improves her salary, she will continue to seek ways of supplementing her income.

"The government is paying us peanuts, we are trying to make ends meet. Even government ministers are selling maize cobs from their offices," said Nezungai.

"I bring about 1 000 sweets a week, each selling for $5 000," Nenzungai added.

Simple mathematics shows that she rakes in $5 million per week, almost half of what she earns in a month.

An average teacher in Zimbabwe now earns Z$9 million a month, way below the Z$21 million the consumer rights body, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe says is needed by an average family of six to survive every month.

But an executive member of the School Development Association (SDA) which helps run the school, said while teachers have a right to be innovative to stay afloat in these trying times, they must ensure that they do not compromise the quality of learning in schools.

"Teachers are spending most of the time selling goods instead of coaching our children. Parents now have the added duty of doing teaching at home," said the member, who asked not to be named.

The secretary general of the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said what was happening in schools clearly vindicated their position on the need to improve teachers' salaries.

"As a union, we have petitioned the government to cushion teachers from the current economic crisis by allowing those with school-going children not to pay fees. Teachers can't even buy decent clothing because of poor salaries," said Majongwe.

The teachers' union last year unsuccessfully lobbied the government for a massive 834 percent salary hike only to receive a 231 percent increment.

But for Cynthia, each day to school is becoming test of endurance as the headmaster grills the pupils to reveal names of "offending" teachers who are defying the school rule not to sell sweets and other goodies to pupils.

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