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Critical staff shortages haunt institutions of higher learning
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
February 16, 2010

Critical staff shortages haunt institutions of higher learning with massive shortages of lecturers reported in many colleges. The worst cases have been recorded at the University of Zimbabwe and Chinhoyi University of Technology. This has had negative bearing on the quality of graduates produced. With the Inclusive Government marking its first year in existence, it is sad that these challenges are still prevalent in colleges. The dollarization of economy last year posed hope for development in the education fraternity with lecturers getting allowances in US dollars ranging from US100-USD290. This has failed to deter lecturers from seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

The University of Zimbabwe has less than half of the total 1 200 lecturers required at the institution. From a survey carried by ZINASU Information department, two of every four weekly newspapers flight advertisements of job vacancies from various colleges. Instead of the situation improving, it is actually getting worse. For the past three weeks Chinhoyi University of Technology has been advertising posts for lecturers in the Sunday mail newspaper. ZINASU demands the Inclusive Government to urgently deal with the chaos in the education sector.

It is not only higher education that is facing the brunt of ill funding from the Government. In 2009, 45% of Ordinary level aspirants failed to register for their final examinations as they could not afford to pay the exorbitant examination fees. Zimbabwe had one of the best education infrastructures in Africa but this has since ceased to exist. If nothing is urgently done in resuscitating the sector, the education system will go to the doldrums.

The Government included education as an urgent area that needed urgent attention in its first Short Term Recovery Programme (STERP) in April 2009 but nothing much has materialised in the education fraternity. The students of Zimbabwe are tired of empty promises from politicians, there is need for ZANU Pf to retire the ailing Minister of Higher Education, Dr Stan Mudenge and put someone more energetic. Students are impatiently waiting for deliverables in the higher education sector. As a way of airing out their grievances students have planned nationwide protests in all the 6 provincial regions which will commence next week.

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