The Teaching Service Commission of Zambia ( TSCZ) has lauded the Catholic Church for complimenting government efforts in uplifting the education standards in Western province.
Commission Chairperson, Stanley M’hango says the Catholic Church is an all-weather partner in ensuring that educational standards are enhanced for learners in the province enjoy in the province.
Mr. M’hango said the benefits enjoyed are from the colossal sums of money that both government and the Church is pumping in the sector.
He said this when he addressed District Education Board Secretaries (DEBS) drawn from all the 16 districts of the province and lecturers from Mongu Catholic College of Education yesterday.
He said government is working tirelessly to ensuring that the conditions of service for all the teachers are improved in the country, adding that the commission and teachers exists because of the learners.
The Chairperson also took a swipe at all DEBS, Head teachers and lecturers in the province to stop the tendency of justifying sexual misconduct in the name of re-entry policy of the girl child.
Mr. M’hango said lecturers from teacher colleges in the country should produce disciplined teachers that would be able to uphold values and principles, not indulging in illicit activities that would end up denting the sector.
He further urged all District Education Board Secretaries to be in custody of policy documents such as the republican constitution, the vision 2030, and Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP), Teaching profession ACT number three of 2013, civil service ACT, and many other documents in order to improve service delivery of education in the province.
And passing a vote of thanks, Mongu District Education Board Secretary, Sendoi Mutumba commended the commission for reminding school managers and lecturers to remain upright in implementing educational standards in the province.
Ms. Mutumba said civil servants are making the government poor because of not being productive and as such the trend would be changed as the commission is on tour to learn what is trending in the sector across the country.
She said the poor leadership and management abilities among top leaders in the sector will be changed in order to improve on learner performance in the province.
The teaching service commission chairperson also conducted a meeting with all teachers in Mongu District that was held at Mongu Trades Training Institute where he sternly warned teachers to desist from absenteeism before summary dismissals are instituted as they are drawing salaries that they do not account for.
Mr. M’hango further mentioned that the commission will ensure that teachers who are at schools that are over staffed will be redeployed to areas where their services are required.
The Chairperson has also implored the office of the Provincial Education Officer to ensure that teachers with disabilities be deployed to schools where there are able bodied learners.
Mr M’hango said visual impaired teachers for instance would be a motivation to parents in various communities who are shunning to sending their disabled children to school.
He said there is need of including able bodied and impaired teachers respectively as the teaching fraternity does not discriminate adding that the Seventh National Development Plan states that no one should be left out in accessing quality education in the country.
WELL DONE CATHOLICS…….