Zambezi District Education Board Secretary, Kenneth Solochi says academic excellence in school can only be thoroughly achieved through having trained teachers.
Speaking to Zambia News and Information Services at his office yesterday, Mr Solochi said the availability of trained teachers in school should be a number one priority as it leads to good performance.
He said the recruitment of over 30,000 teachers will add value to school performance.
Mr Solochi said the new dawn government should be commended for its commitment and continued support to improving the education system in Zambia.
He said Zambezi district is grateful to the government for deploying over 500 teachers to the district, a move he said will to staffing level and eventually leading to improved academic performance.
“With this big number coming to our schools, I do not expect to see classes without teachers. Worse is to hear learners complain of not having teachers because this is a big number that can cater for all our schools in the district,” Mr Solochi said.
He said the primary focus of the newly recruited teachers should be on knowing their principle accountabilities, adding that knowing their principle accountabilities is critical to improving academic performance in schools.
“Knowing our principal accountabilities as teachers should be our primary goal. We know why we are there and I don’t expect anyone to fail.
“No amount of excuses will be understood because the government has done its part, it is now up to you to prove yourself worth in terms of delivering to the learners,” Mr Solochi said.
He has since appealed to old teachers to embrace the new teachers and make them settle quickly and focus on key principles of delivering effective and efficient lessons to the learners.
“My appeal to the old teachers is that they should be accommodative to the new teachers. Most of them are young and they are just about to start life so mentor them so that they quickly settle in the teaching system,” Mr Solochi said.
There is something amiss here, when the people commended PF for building roads, health facilities and schools etc the opposition was up on arms and said that the PF must not be commended for that because as Govt. they needed to do just that. Now the “new dawn” Govt must be commended for employing teachers who are going to teach in PF era built schools but not the PF.