Teacher job competition described as national emergency, says Citizens First

Teacher job competition described as national emergency, says Citizens First

An opposition party has described the ratio of 25 qualified teachers competing for a single job as a national emergency, after authorities confirmed that 50,000 applicants are chasing just 2,000 vacancies.

Citizens First (CF) said the figures reflect a failure of planning and political will, rather than a lack of demand within the education system.

Cosmas Mukuka, a member of the party’s Labour and Education Committee, said overcrowded classrooms some holding up to 100 pupils highlight the scale of unmet need across the country.

“This is not just a Teaching Service Commission problem. This is a national emergency. You cannot train teachers for four years, certify them, then abandon them,” Mr Mukuka said in a statement issued on Monday.

He warned that failing to employ trained teachers undermines Zambia’s long-term development, adding that “a nation that fails to employ its teachers has given up on sustainable development.”

Mr Mukuka outlined four measures the party says it would implement if elected into office.

Within its first 100 days, CF would direct key institutions including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labour, as well as the Teaching Service Commission to activate bilateral labour agreements aimed at placing Zambian teachers abroad.

“Our target is to negotiate government-to-government placements for 15,000 Zambian teachers as expatriates within two years. This keeps teachers working, builds international experience and brings remittances home,” he said.

The party also proposed “Operation 10,000 Classrooms”, a public-private partnership initiative involving churches, mining firms, farms, individuals and private investors to address infrastructure shortages and ease congestion in schools.

Under the plan, government would provide teachers and curriculum oversight, while partners would support construction and operations.

To tackle staffing gaps in rural areas, Mr Mukuka said a CF administration would recruit more than 20,000 teachers on an internship basis with monthly allowances, arguing that no qualified teacher should remain unemployed while schools remain understaffed.

He added that the party would introduce a national reskilling programme through the Ministry of Technology and Education, focusing on areas such as digital content development, special needs education, early childhood learning, coding, agriculture education and technical and vocational training.

“To parents: your children deserve a teacher and quality education, not excuses. We will not rest until every qualified teacher is working and every classroom has a teacher,” Mr Mukuka said.

About the Author

Admin

Administrator

Visit Website View All Posts