EUZ Rejects Teacher Blame for Matabeleland South Failures

EUZ says poor school performance should be investigated beyond teacher performance.

The Educators Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ) has rejected calls to dismiss underperforming teachers in Matabeleland South, arguing that poor learner outcomes cannot be blamed on teachers alone.

The union's position follows comments by Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe, who called for non-performing teachers to be dismissed and replaced by unemployed teachers returning from South Africa amid xenophobic attacks.

Nguluvhe's remarks followed concerns over poor examination results in the province, including 11 schools that reportedly recorded a zero percent pass rate. However, EUZ president Tafadzwa Munodawafa said reducing the problem to teacher performance risked ignoring the wider challenges affecting the education system.

“We caution against creating a narrative in which teachers become the scapegoats for poor educational outcomes,” Munodawafa said.

He called for a comprehensive education audit covering Matabeleland South and the rest of the country to establish why some schools are consistently recording poor results.

“A 0% pass rate in 11 schools should prompt a comprehensive provincial education audit to establish the underlying causes and identify schools that require urgent intervention,” he said.

Munodawafa said the performance of schools should be assessed against the contribution of all stakeholders, including Government, education authorities, school leadership, teachers, parents and local communities.

“Rather than simply asking teachers to leave Matabeleland South, we should be asking: why are these schools failing?” he said. “What support do these teachers and learners need? What interventions have already been implemented, and have they been effective?”

The union's argument shifts the focus from individual teacher accountability to the broader conditions under which schools operate.

Factors such as teacher shortages, availability of learning materials, infrastructure, school leadership, learner attendance, parental involvement and socio-economic conditions can all influence educational outcomes. Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director Beatrice Manjere also acknowledged that several factors need to be examined when assessing poor school performance. Manjere said teachers could not be held solely responsible for low pass rates, indicating that other issues affecting schools and learners also needed to be considered.

The debate comes amid wider concerns about educational disparities between schools and provinces, with calls for authorities to identify poorly performing institutions and provide targeted support. While teacher performance remains an important part of school accountability, education stakeholders argue that disciplinary measures alone may not address systemic problems affecting learning outcomes.

The EUZ is therefore calling for authorities to establish the specific challenges facing the 11 schools with zero pass rates before deciding on punitive measures. A comprehensive audit could examine staffing levels, teacher attendance and qualifications, school resources, leadership, learner numbers and attendance, parental involvement and the effectiveness of previous interventions.

For the union, the objective should be to identify the causes of poor performance and provide schools with the resources and support needed to improve, rather than treating teachers as the sole cause of failure. The debate also raises a broader question for Zimbabwe's education system: whether poor examination results should primarily trigger disciplinary action against individual teachers or a wider investigation into the conditions affecting teaching and learning.

Matabeleland South schools