THE government directive to immediately withdraw State-funded teachers from private schools has once again exposed a troubling pattern in the management of Zimbabwe’s education sector: policy made in haste, implemented without empathy and defended with bureaucratic rhetoric long after the damage is done.
In Glen View-Mufakose alone, the decision has plunged schools into turmoil, leaving about 33 teachers in professional limbo and disrupting learning for hundreds of pupils.
The stated objective — addressing staffing shortages in public schools — may be legitimate.
The manner of execution, however, has been anything but.
Teachers at Mufakose Mhuriimwe Secondary School, a private institution, were last week issued with blanket transfer notices, often without being told where they were going or when.
No consultation. No transitional plan. No regard for the professional and human realities of teaching.
One teacher summed it up aptly: “We are being moved like pieces on a chessboard.”
After eight years of service, being told to move “immediately” without knowing whether the next stop is urban or rural is not administration, but coercion dressed up as policy.
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Even more concerning is the casual severing of teacher-student relationships.
Education is not a factory process where labour can be redeployed overnight without consequences.
Learners thrive on continuity, trust and familiarity.
Breaking these bonds mid-term is pedagogically unsound and ethically questionable.
Authorities have attempted to reframe the issue as a simple withdrawal of State subsidy from private institutions.
Harare provincial education director Joram Mupunza argued that private schools cannot expect to enjoy the use of government-funded staff while operating independently.
That argument, on its own, is not unreasonable.
What is unreasonable is presenting teachers with a false choice.
While officials speak of options — remain at private schools, transfer to government schools or resign and reapply — teachers on the ground report compulsory transfer forms issued on January 12, devoid of destinations and timelines.
A choice made under duress is no choice at all.
The Educators Union of Zimbabwe has rightly condemned the process, pointing out that it violates public service regulations.
Its call for teachers to complete the current term before any transfers is not radical; it is sensible.
Transitional arrangements exist precisely to prevent chaos of this nature.
The involvement of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee and the ministry’s assurances about “equitable distribution” of teachers suggest a government scrambling to contain fallout rather than owning its missteps.
Equity in deployment cannot be achieved through disorder.
Quality education cannot be safeguarded by administrative ambushes.
At the heart of this controversy is a deeper problem: the persistent theatrics of governance.
Announcements are made for effect, directives issued to signal control and consequences managed later — often at the expense of professionals and learners who have no voice in the process.
If the State intends to recalibrate its relationship with private schools, it must do so transparently, lawfully and humanely.
Teachers are not expendable assets and students are not collateral damage.
Zimbabwe’s education system has survived decades of strain because of the resilience and commitment of its educators.
Treating them with disregard is not just unfair; it is self-defeating.
It is time to stop the theatrics and start governing the education sector with planning, consultation and
respect.
