|
Back to Index
120
posts vacant as brain drain decimates University of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
National Students Union (ZINASU)
February 29, 2008
In agraphic
illustration of the critical state of under staffing of lecturers
at the University
of Zimbabwe, the institution has advertised 120 vacant posts
in the state-controlled Sunday paper, The Sunday Mail.
The advert on the numerous
posts — printed in a small font — took out an entire
page of the broadsheet.
The worst affected department
is that of medicine, where 18 lecturers are required at under and
postgraduate levels for disciplines ranging from cardiology, dermatology
and tropical medicine.
The Department of Anesthesia
and Critical Care Medicine is not better, with 12 posts vacant.
The department of physiology has 10 posts that need filling.
Other departments that
require lectures include the Department of Biological Sciences (9
posts), the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (8), the Department
of Clinical Veterinary Studies (8), the Department of Business Studies
(8) and the Department of History (7).
According to the advert,
both permanent and short-term lectureship contracts are on offer.
Non-Zimbabweans would
be appointed on an initial short-term contract of two years subject
to renewal. The closing date for applications is 29 February.
The UZ is scheduled to
open after the March 29 polls but chances of the posts being filled
are very remote. Lecturers, like other Zimbabwean professionals,
have been deserting the country for better career prospects within
the region and overseas. Salaries for lecturers in Zimbabwe remain
low.
Students and some observers
have alleged that the decision to open the UZ after elections was
a political move aimed at stopping them from engaging in anti-ruling
party activities as they are seen as supporting the opposition.
Students spoken to at
the varsity expressed grave concern at the quality of education
they are receiving as a result of the continued exodus of lecturers.
"Student life has
become hell at the UZ," said one student. "Everything
continues to crumble and, above all, the shortage of lecturers has
reached crisis levels. It is no exaggeration to say the varsity
is now producing half- baked graduates as we miss so many lessons
owing to the non-availability of lecturers."
Last September when the
UZ opened, it was estimated that only a quarter of the then about
11 000 students turned up in the first week for the new semester
as acute accommodation and financial problems kept thousands away.
This was after —
in a shock move — the UZ had announced that it would not be
admitting students into halls of residence for the new academic
year that opened on 10 September last year.
This followed recommendations
by the City of Harare Department of Health Services that the accommodation
facilities were unsuitable for habitation as they lacked proper
ablution and catering services. The UZ blamed student hooliganism
for the move, saying it was forced to close the hostels after failing
to secure funds to renovate them before the start of the new semester.
The crisis at the UZ
has been acknowledged by the Minister of Higher Education who is
on record as saying: "I hear there are some serious problems
there. We will have to work out a plan so that all students return
and complete their programmes."
Efforts to get comment
from the UZ were fruitless.
Visit the ZINASU
fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
