Shortage Of Ndebele-speaking Teachers Hits Silobela
The Silobela community has expressed unhappiness over the shortage of Ndebele-speaking teachers, which has resulted in the deployment of Shona-speaking teachers in the area.
Midlands Minister for Devolution and Provincial Affairs, Larry Mavima, was briefed on the situation recently when he commissioned the Gwesele – Bharimasvesve Primary School in Zhombe.
A senior Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education official said few people from the region were training as teachers hence the shortage of Ndebele-speaking teachers.
The official challenged youth from the area to go to teachers’ colleges.
People who spoke during the briefing said the problem had not been addressed for the last ten years, and this was one of the causes of the low pass rates in Silobela.
Meanwhile, Mavima assured stakeholders that the government was going to attend to the problem to address it. He said:
I was informed during the briefings that we have a shortage of Ndebele-speaking teachers in our local schools. I promise that as Government we are going to address the problem.
One of the villagers at the event, Derek Thumelo told The Mirror that most schools have a high number of Shona-speaking teachers who can hardly communicate in Ndebele.
Silobela District Schools Inspector (DSI) Herbert Maziriri confirmed the problem and said:
We have such a problem; it is not limited to Silobela but affects the whole country.
We call upon local students to take up teaching courses so that they can be deployed to teach in their indigenous languages.
More: The Mirror
