Friday, March 29, 2024

Govt hailed for stopping home tuitions

Share

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has applauded Government for directing all teachers to stop conducting tuitions with pupils in their homes.

ZANEC Executive Director Miriam Chinyama said the directive was long overdue adding that there has been an increase in sexual abuse among girls.

Ms Chinyama explained to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that Government should ensure that teachers were monitored so that the directive by Ms Siliya was adhered to countrywide.

She added that if not properly monitored, some teachers would ignore the directive and continue conducting tuitions with pupils in their homes.

Ms Chinyama said ZANEC did not want to see the situation continue even after the Government’s directive.

Education Minister Dora Siliya has since directed all teachers to stop conducting tuitions with pupils in their homes saying the practice had resulted in increased sexual abuse among girls.

The Ministry of Education has recorded 16 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by some male teachers countrywide from January this year to date, resulting in unwanted pregnancies.

[ ZANIS ]

18 COMMENTS

  1. The best would have been to say no teacher- pupil sexual relationship. Can we be told what punishment was handed to the culprits?

  2. Chi Dola nichani ma jealous so kansi. So manje no extra cash and no duducha. Bati ichi chimuntu zoooona nicha mawanu

  3. i tell you few people like RB and DORA,make allowances thru endless trips.well we have no good education for our kids

  4. The Teachers some of them have turned tuitions into CHALK Bonus, to abuse the young girls especially those that cant afford to pay tution charges. But some teachers are committed, they just want to help pupils and since they have no other place to conduct the tutions. It;s a catch22.

  5. Despite the many “issuez” that have surrounded Dora Siliya, I think she dezervez commendation on this move. Furthermore, I urge her to check why nowadayz pupilz go to school every Saturday and even during holidayz just becauze they are in examination classez?

  6. For as long as teachers are paid peanuts, classes are over crowded, and some pupils lack extra attention in class there will be private in-home tuition sessions. If you cannot address the root cause for why teachers and pupils mutually seek the after school tuition, you can make all the decrees you want until your weave falls out, Dora, but it won’t make a difference. Nice thought, but poor execution…next…

  7. The move by Dora is commendable. But is the teacher’s home the only place where pupils can be molested? There are many teachers who conduct tuition in isolated classrooms, laboratories, storerooms, you name it, at very awkward hours. The directive should have been to end all one on one tuition between male teachers and female pupils.

  8. While the concerns by our minister are legitimate, the fact is that the teachers pay is way below living wage hence they engage in “conducting tuitions with pupils in their homes” to supplement their wages to alleviate poverty. The few bad apples have ruined a decent way for teachers to help themselves.The law should enforce stricter disciplinary measures to these sexual perverts ruining the pupils lives,destroying and defaming the image of teachers.The complete inhibition of the so called “Tuition in homes” is not a smart solution Ms minister. Address the real problems as pointed out by most bloggers here. 1. Teachers pay 2. classroom congestion 3. Guide lines on ” conducting Tuition in homes” 4. Improve delivery of education 5. improve the teaching tools.

  9. from #10 Do not just shut the door for families who can not afford to take their children to private expensive schools that offer quality education. Most people in Zambia who are barely making it have come to know the importance of good education and that it is a game changer hence they are trying by all means to give their children chance at a better life. Therefore by closing this door will not only hurt the teachers but the pupils too in the long run as long as the teachers situation and standards in public schools are not improved Ms Dora. Therefore, work on the school systems. I agree no child should be sexually abused at ALL.And may I suggest that this number may be higher than the reported because these case arise after pregnancy! What about girls who don’t get pregnant, the boys?

  10. The Minister ought to to give more thought to how this lunacy is going to be stamped out. Where is the support for helping girls to report such advances in confidence and without fear of recriminations? How and who will investigate such cases? What process will be available to protect innocent teachers who are found to be wrongly accused? How will the message be spread to girls educating them about their rights and available safe guards for their safety once a report is made? What process will be in place to support girls who suffer such crimes? How will the government guarantee that the laws pertaining to this will apply equally to all Zambian citizens regardless of status or political influence? When will the judiciary be reformed to support this? What about molestations outside schools?

  11. ZANEC should attempt to find out or explain how this directive is going to be enforced before singing praises in support. Which teachers does this relate to? What is the monitoring process? What will replace the current arrangements, as clearly there is a demand for such tuition? Is the Government going to ensure that schools provide the extra support students need and pay teachers for working the extra hours? And if these students then improve and pass their exams, is the government ready to supply the extra secondary school and university places required? Is there a holistic approach from the Government and ZANEC to address all these issues or are we just hearing words yet again?

  12. The scourge pupil teacher relationships is really sickening. South Africa is trying to come up with a way of publicly Naming and Shaming teachers that are found to have sexually abused pupils, in some kind of National Register. Can we also consider a similar thing? The only problem in our case is that we have too many Chanda Mulenga’s and Mabvuto Phiri’s, so it would so difficult to know who’s being named and shamed…

  13. You Ministers have not stopped this nonsense of banning this and banning that. These things need laws. Regulate it through some school mechanism: do not just ban. Mano ya mumpili!!!!

  14. Best method to deal with this problem is to first give teachers good salaries,make it a law that its illegal for a teacher to provide extra lessons.make it legal for registered institutions to provide extra lessons.Alternatively,extra lessons can be part of school curriculum especially in the afternoon,say one hour.Laws laws

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading