Csec queries TPR

Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) executive director Benedicto Kondowe has queried the qualified primary school teacher-pupil ratio (TPR) statistics government has been providing, arguing the gap is worse than what they are portraying.
He said shortage of primary school teachers in government schools, especially in rural areas, has been a long-standing problem.

There are currently 66 732 primary school teachers and government puts the TPR at 1:73 against a projected target of 1:60 by 2017 to improve education standards. To narrow the gap, government is in the process of recruiting 10 500 teachers who are expected to join the civil service during the last quarter of the 2015/2016 financial year.

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology spokesperson Manfred Ndovi said there is need for an additional 20 000 teachers to meet the 1:60 TPR.

Kondowe, however, on Wednesday queried the ministry’s statics saying the country has an acute shortage of primary school teachers and the TPR on the ground is 1:100 plus.

Kondowe also queried why the 10 500 teachers should be roped in the last quarter of the financial year when there are critical problems now.

Said Kondowe: “This demonstrates that there is no money to recruit teachers.”

Ndovi said the ministry is serious about recruiting the 10 500 teachers but feared that the country’s high fertility rate will affect government’s efforts to meet the ratio.

Minister of Health Jean Kalilani recently also bemoaned the population boom saying it is exerting pressure on existing health facilities.