The Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) has welcomed the move by Government to stop diploma holding teachers from teaching in high schools.
ZNUT General Secretary, Roy Mwaba told ZANIS in an interview that this will help enhance education standards in the country.
Mr. Mwaba said even though the statement came from a politician, there was need to support government on the matter.
He said Government should also be aware that there are more diploma holding teachers than degree holders in the country.
The ZNUT General Secretary however added that since there were more diploma holders than degree holders teachers with Diplomas will continue teaching.
He said instead of completely phasing them out, Government should also look at upgrading their diplomas into degrees.
He has since called on Government to increase the number of Universities in the country by putting in more money so that the country can have more degree and master’s degree holding teachers.
Recently Education Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa announced that Government was in the process of phasing out diploma holding teachers from teaching in high schools adding that this was aimed at promoting quality education in schools.
?????
Iwe Lungwangwa do you realise that a diploma holder educated under Kaunda education system with more than 20 years of experience is more capable to deliver quality education than most of these quarter baked imbeciles from our two universities. The chaps can not even write an application letter for employment. Worse still their entry into the university is quetionable, they will either get good grade 12 marks through a leakage or bribe another ***** from the university academic office to gain a place.
Professory in woods, my advice to you to raise the education standards is to pay our hard working teachers a living wage and let them put in a full days’ work. Above all ban private tuitions
As I grauate from Nkrumah teachers college and having been in the field for 15 years I am very disappointed with this statement by the same union that represents us. Graduate have the theory but not as good at methodology as the diploma holders. With my diploma I have taught Maths in South Africa and the UK high school including A level. I will always respect a degree holder but it does not make them better teahcers. I have enhances by knowledge of the subject by going to short courses and the support of the schools I have taught in. So please do not look down at the diploma teacher!!!!!
#3 living example of what I alluded to, walasa.
PF’s Sata during his campaign trails once said he would ban school of education at UNZA from admitting grade 12s straight into their school. Instead he would make the school admit only teachers that have a certificate or diploma and have been teaching for a number of years. In that way only dedicated teachers would would be admited into the education degree programme.
It made sense to me and it might solve the issue at hand.
Jesus,we cant even contribute,you have summed up everything and thou hast spoken thy truth.
You’re right Gaga. Degree holders are not better than those who have been teaching for years. Government should help diploma holders to upgrade to degrees by allowing them to go for a six months course at one of the universities. They should also be given credit exemption for the first three months. Research methodolgy should be one of the subjects they should be taught besides doing a qualitative thesis on a certain topic of their choice.
Prof.Mbwa, after working at UNZA we thought you understood simple research methods. I am not educated at all but I know that our goverment is full of Kaponyas like this Prof. Mbwa Common sense tells me that very few teachers hold degrees and High Schools are ever increasing. Please let commonsense help MMD dogs.
I have no authority to comment on this subject but the fact that the plan is endorsed by the Union then we should support it. I believe the Union, being the custodian of its memebers, have given this plan a serious thought and consideration……
Bo Simomo, has it occurred to you that the union officials are perhaps incapable of serious thought?
This has been long overdue for Zambia, in fact the first thing to phase out is Colleges that offers diplomas for taechers because it is pointless to train them when their jobs cease to exist! For the current Diploma holders, hold your ???, you wont be retrenched, you will be allowed to retire but no one with Diploma will replace u! The demand of a modern international school syllabus if implemented will not require teacher’s experience but enhanced knowledge. Infact its time all tertially institutions started admitting “A” level students & reduce # of years and costs for univ. education. Thanx for the job weldone guys, but the new direction requires Degree holders, change we want, we can!
#11 youre talking sense boi, i support your well thought of move
#11.It strange considering there is a great shortage of good teachers as most of the gradutes do not even go into a classroom and go into the private sector or leave the country. when you talk of enhanced knowledge of a subject, how does that make you a good teacher.Teaching is how you impart that knowledge to other and depending of who you are teaching and the level you will definately need a certain level of knowledge.On your point of A level students-not everypne has the brains to do A level studies and that is why other options should be available. Like it or not experince is the best teacher and the so called developed world is a proff of it.
Let’s be careful in the manner in which we implement some of these policies. Is there sufficient evidence to show that diploma holders were not performing their teaching duties to required standards? And has the country got sufficent degree holders to be sread throughout the country? Most of these graduates are unlikely to accept postings outside urban areas and this might bring about new challenges to the education system.
We cannot ignore the role of experience in education. Mind you, what is better to have diploma holders as teachers or to have Vera as Minister? As for A-Levels, not all countries have them. After all, I have taught many students from Zambian who came with O-levels and they did better than most of the A-level students.
I was taught by diplama holders in many cases who were very inteligent more than degree holders.Some policies are not fit for purpose.Enhancing education is about clear vision and values that promote the framework of any change. consultations is a key to any change. No wonder you have unions for high schoolteachers and basic(primary)school. There is no stronger union in Zed like the 80s to much political brainwashed representatives
Some diploma holders are actually better than degree holders.During my school days in the 80s we rejected a mathematics teachers who was a degree holder in preference to diploma holder.The fact that someone has degree do not mean that he is more intelligent than a diploma holders.Just as a Chartered Accountant does not mean that Iam more intelligent than a ZDA.
Of course, Iam not saying that diploma holders should not do anything about enhancing their status.
If only life was as smple as our politicians put it. The politician most likely doesn’t even have statistics on the number of teachers in Zed. Yet he’s quick to blurt out and give solutions without clearly defining how to implement. We are struggling to run two small universities but his solution is put up more universities…
sad
Comments by Jesus # 3 just show lack of intellectual capacity coming from a frustrated person. Well I don’t support the move by the minister to phase out diplomas , I neither subscribe to the notion that degree holders are not good teachers and are quarter backed imbeciles from our two universities.
If teachers from UNZA are quarter baked, it means that their counterparts, diploma holder from colleges are not even backed at all. What facilities do Nkrumah and COTSECO Teachers training colleges have which are better than UNZA? After all, all these colleges are being regulated by UNZA. How can UNZA produce 1/4 baked graduates and the colleges it regulates produce fully baked graduates.
Gaga #13, can you explain this to the nation? The Fact that Teachers from UNZA are also employed by the private sector is a sign that they are well qualified and are capable of delivering results. Which private employer can employ imbeciles, someone who can not even write an application letter some?
I know of schools such as DK and Hilcrest whose policy is just to engage teachers with degrees. Their pupils do very well and flood the two Universities. As you have rightly put it, diploma holder with 20 years experience will sure be a good teacher, but u do not 20 years of experience for a degree holder to be a good teacher. At least Gaga #3 just constantly doing short course for him to teac
in the UK and S. Africa.
Such comments will only bring our country back, eroding the success its citizen has so far recorded. For your own information Jesus and Gaga, UNZA and CBU have produced graduates whose intellectual capability has contributed immensely to the development of this country in all sectors of the economy and it will continue to do so. For instance, the operations on which the currently Albidon Zambia Ltd’s Munali Nickel mine in Mazabuka is based on was largely by efforts of 4 young Zambian geologists trained by UNZA. People, please, it’s important sometimes to appreciate what you have.
i feel it is retrogressive to turn nkrumah into some university of some sort. the government should leave the college the way it is BUT CONSTRUCT a new university in Kabwe. you dont destroy existing structures, but you should construct new universities not only in kabwe but other provinces too.
Jesus dont use the name of Jesus in vain. Stop it!
It’s so nice to read the comments,but my question is why do we talk about the high schools only what about those big offices which is headed by certificate holders at the national, provincial and even district level?
I think this should not be only for the ministry of education but even other ministries esp health, we still find very old nurses and clinical officers holding big positions in mgt.We are living in a changing world with advanced technplogy and change in disease pattern, i feel what we need is not to retire them but let them go for higher education which is almost imposible in our situation, or may be the govnt can arrange for workshops to try& make them join the changing world
Whay do people fear the educated guys and girls with degrees?
yes diploma holders should be removed from hogh schools.most of them can not speak english. they are a disgrace.
yes diploma holders should be removed from high schools.most of them can not even speak english. they are a disgrace.
I have examined all the comments in this blog over this issue of phasing out diplomas and replacing them with degrees.One thing is clear to me that the nexus of every comment is beseiged with romantic thinking as opposed to serious and analytic focus over the subject matter.In my humble view this is the greatest problem that has unfortunately dogged our country from the professor of this country to an ordinary person in the village.No wonder anecdotal evidence suggests that as a people in Zambia we are very good at talking but very poor if not disastrous at the implementation level.We lack focus on the things we want to do best and we talk before applying critical thought on what we want.
no comment i think all is fine.
diploma or degree its same. first year at university they spend revising grade 12 material then 3 years learning just like diploma spend 3yrs in college. so kubombelafye pamo bonse.
Ba Professor …tumfweniko fye: Under whose chalk were you eventually made Professor?
You should understood better than most of us that the three basic Educational levels of Certificate, Diploma and Degree are only collectively complete; never independently complete!
Certificate: Hands-On, Major goal is to ensure they Deliver regardless of what. They have the hands on skills of about 75% and 25% Management skills. They’re implementers.
Diploma: A balanced view of Hands-on with about 50% Practical skills and 50% Mgt skills. They’re designers and implementers.
Degree holders: 25% Hands on skills, 75% Mgt skills. Meanrt to be Top Managers. Initiators of projects; more it to design.
Let us try to reflect on this seriously. Which degree holders are they trying to get? From UNZA? When did government last pay attention to UNZA? Come on people. This Lungwangwa boy is dillusional. I am a former teacher now living in USA. I did my training at Evelyn Hone. Can he tell us where he is going to get Art and Music Teachers from? What about subjects like Civics, PE, Woodwork, Metalwork, and all others that are not part of the education department at UNZA? Are they gonna be phased out or they going to introduce them at UNZA? Where are they going to find funds to do that? That seems like expanding UNZA. This is the type of leadership Mwanawasa brings to people
Ala bwafya!!! Bwana Kalos2020 …
I think someone needs to first come up with an advanced college of Applied Common Sense for Zambian policians. Ubupumbu no bukopo bwacila mumitwe, ba Politician bamo twakwata!
Just to let Kalos2020 know that in fact civics and PE including HE are now offered as degree programme at UNZA in the faculty of education.Thanks.
Just to let Kalos2020 know that in fact civics and PE including HE are now offered as degree programmes at UNZA in the faculty of education.Thanks.
I have checked the state of affairs in Zambia. Education and Health are the least care for ministries. At UNZA, CBU and one big college Evelyn Hone, students spend 1/4 of their study time either fighting the failed gov. or looking for what to eat or water. Turning COSETCO, Nkrumah, and any other colleges into universities sounds good. But it would require a lot of structural and finacial changes. Does anyone recall Dag in Ndola? The only thing I would suggest is linking these colleges to the current universities. UNZA at Nkrumah, CBU at COSETCO Itimpi(Wow, Fun name). But the funding of these institutions really worries me. I think Lungwangwa must explain better. This needs research.
What about the other courses? I am sorry that I did not check my records properly. I left Zambia in 1994. I am enjoying life here, but my heart is back home. My ignorance about what is now offered at UNZA is evident by your correction SIR/MADAM. But this does not negate the fact that there are numerous other courses that are not offered at UNZA or CBU for education purposes. It does not also negate the fact that UNZA and CBU as institutions are regretably neglected to add more burden on them by adding new courses if the current ones are not even well funded. The situation at UNZA according to other sources is really sad.
Kalos2020 your arguments are valid; but i think what we need as a nation is to have a crtical analysis on the issue and see what would be done best for our land and people. I am happy that you have acknowledged this part in comment no-36.We need people like you to get back home so that your contribution would be physically felt.By the way i am a sir and currently in Ireland for my MA.For the other subjects like WW,MW etc i am told plans are underway to develop them into degree progs as well but it calls for the experts in these fields to push for that just like civics,HE and PE experts pushed for these subjects to be offered at UNZA.Hope have answered your questions.
Zambian, no.38, You are wrong, do not call back home people like Kalos2020 who are comfortable where they are. I am at the base, and talking from experience. If Kalos were to come and work under the serious hardships that I am subjected to, he will not live long. Let him simply stay where he/she is and help with planning and where possible finantial contributions. Teaching here in Zed is a low profile job, nothing is at offer to say the least. I am a family man with 6 children and happily married to a typical house wife. I get very little and barely survive. We live by the grace of God.
I am surprised that a teacher like you could have such a low level of analysis.There is nothing wrong to encourage people like Kalos2020 to come back and be part of you sir and me including other fellow countrymen and women youths alike to put our heads together and develop our country.And what research have have conducted sir to prove that people who are living well somewhere when brought back to Zambia would not live long? I am sure even Kalos2020 will be amazed to read through your comment.I have always said in this blog lets analyze our arguments before we finally decide to let other people get the sense of what we saying.
Ok guys. Let us get back to our topic. You know for sure that I will not venture into going back knowing what I went thru as a teacher before. The question is, and I repeat, where will the funds to introduce these subject/or courses come from after all we have seen? You guys must know that running university department entails writing grants and as far as I know, no businesses or government departments handout funds to UNZA/CBU. There are funds. The minister probably would better enlighten us on this issue. Unfortunately as we all know, our government owes no explanation on anything, we owe our governments. Solutions are there, but who will listen to us? Not our ministers.
#5 is one of the guys who made sense. let us steal what Sata said. That man is wise. and since am wise as well i will go for it. All teachers with diploma enrolled in the school of education. Gr.12’s teachers training collages then teach for a while and send them to UNZA. Socrates once said that education must be through experience. Am more educated than Sata but he is wise because of experience. Dont tell any one this is between us bloggers.
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