Student teachers countrywide are crying foul after government slashed their monthly allowances from $329 to $157.
By Sofia Mapuranga
The majority of the student teachers were now getting less than $100 after their respective colleges deducted fees arrears and training fees.
They argued that government was not serious about their plight as they were only targeting them, leaving out student nurses and those on training in the police and armed forces.
Student teachers who spoke to NewsDay said it was disheartening that they were being left with a paltry $80.
The students said the move to slash their allowances by close to half would derail the teacher training programme as they would not have money for transport and to buy materials required for the studies.
“We do not know what has changed in our circumstances because when you look at it, things are now worse for students,” fumed a student teacher from Harare, who requested anonymity.
“When you are on teaching practice, you are expected to buy material for use when you return to college. Moreover, you are supposed to buy clothes to look presentable,” said another student from Chitungwiza, adding that the majority of the students would fail to balance things out while some were bound to drop out of college because of financial constraints.
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Addressing students at Seke Teachers’ College on Tuesday, the institution’s principal Ephraim Mutubuki confirmed that the allowances had been slashed. He, however, said the college would demand fees upfront before one could sit for examinations and before they could have their deployment forms processed.
“You are not here to show us that you are poor,” Mutubuki said, adding that students should find means to make sure that they were paid up.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Prisca Mupfumira could not be reached for comment yesterday, but in November last year she announced that government would slash student teachers’ allowances and stop financing private and trust schools as a strategy to save close to $72 million.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association president Richard Gundani described the slashing of student teachers’ allowances as an unfair. Gundani called on government to engage teachers’ representative bodies before coming up with such a measure which he said affected the social and economic welfare of members.
He said because the majority of teachers were earning below the poverty datum line, it was important for government to increase teachers’ salaries instead of slashing them.
