By Primrose Tagutanadzo
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has requested rescue packages for teachers from the government to help them return to work until they receive their next salaries.
This comes after schools opened last week on Monday for exam classes while the rest classes resumed this week.
In a statement, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said the association had written to Government as its members were finding it difficult to return to work due to lack of funds.
“Teachers will not go to school unless they get rescue packages from the Government because money from the ministry of education has not been distributed yet,” he said.
“Teachers want money to buy food, to travel from different areas back to schools and also money to pay school fees for their children which in some cases more than their salaries.”
Zhou said schools were not prepared for reopening.
“There is poor sanitation in school and schools show that they were not prepared for reopening of schools and learner’s life are at risk,” he said.
” Schools have no electricity and water has become a big problem in most schools.
“Besides this there is no adequate sanitation for learners which help them fight against this pandemic, no sanitizers, no masks and also testing kits (PPE) for learners and money is also needed to buy those essentials.”
Zhou said two schools in Mashonaland had already recorded COVID-19 positive students hardly a fortnight after schools have opened.
