Natural attrition or environmental consequence - the demise of the teaching profession in Zimbabwe – “Inspired by Mufundisi Lovedale”.

Introductory …

Reading through one of my former mentor’s article led me to wonder whether his article was motivated by emotional attachment to the demise of his peers’ careers or a natural concern for the education system in Zimbabwe. The thoughts led me to dig deeper into self and into other available pots of information to better respond to some of the questions he posed in his article. My previous research into the causes of inequalities in Africa and in the world led me to evidence of why we are where we are; a world in which the rich walk miles to digest while the poor walk miles to find food. The industrial age of the 1800s saw the exceptional growth of western economies as the means of production improved. With better research and experimentation came even more efficient ways of delivering goods and services. At this time, the western economies were almost 90% richer than the rest of the world. As years passed by, the 1900s saw the emergence of China as a significant global policy maker. Inequalities seemed to have been neutralised by this occurrence, however, the transformation of economies in the 2000s from the industrial age to the information age accounted for yet another astronomical growth in inequalities in the world with the developed economies considered to be 750% richer than the rest of the world.

This full transformation within economies rendered people jobless and some careers extinct. Globalisation which saw the removal of trade and economic obstacles between countries created a mechanism for the transmission of these developments into developing nations such as Zimbabwe. The transformative power of this change brought with it technology and more productive efficiency. The pre independence era was mainly characterised by marginalisation of communities in Zimbabwe with little access to educational facilities. The white settlers envisaged a less educated community as a lesser threat and hence the enforced maintenance of this status quo. White supremacy was the order of the day with the majority black being employed within the farms and other industries owned by the minority few. This phenomenon was not only experienced within the productive sectors of the economy but also within the service industry, teaching being one of them. However, the liberation war victory by the majority brought with it a fundamental change in the culture of the day. A socialist economy was the mantra of the new black government, a government which promised education for all, health for all, land for all among many of the would be pledges of the new administration.

With the ushering in of the new government, the laws of demand and supply also kicked in. The economy now needed more people who were educated enough to run the socialist policies of the new regime and teachers occupied that position to be the ‘enablers’ of the socialist agenda. The new regime invested in the erection of more educational infrastructure which called for even more teachers to take up jobs and drive the strategic focus of the government ahead. Because of the presence of the free market influence of demand and supply, the supply of teachers remained low while demand amplified. As the laws of demand and supply would have it, teaching became an elite profession as government financially incentivised more and more people to take up this role. Because of their role within society of churning out even more prestigious professions such as doctors, nurses and bankers, teachers received even more credit for their stellar work. Teachers were indeed highly regarded in their communities and respected too. Teachers then could afford a lifestyle which everyone within their society respected be it at their homes or in the beerhalls. If electricity were to be found within a given area, then everyone would know the owner of that home would be a teacher. Teachers drove new, and trendy cars of the day and could afford to educate their children, sending them to the best of schools of that time. But the question that is still begging for an answer is what has deeply changed to necessitate the kind of life that teachers live today?

Teachers of today have become the laughing stock of the community, ridiculed even by the students whom they teach. A 2017 teacher can no longer afford to live a lifestyle worthy of a 1980 teacher, worse still not even affording to send their own children to school. Why, why, why? It would be erroneous to claim that teaching in 1980 was over-glorified because in those days, teachers did play a pivotal role to shape the communities to what they are today. The literacy rate which the nation is so proud of is the making of the very teachers we see today. However, a deeper reflection into the aspect of development referred to earlier gives pointers to the very ins and outs why this could be so;

Superior Education

The teachers of 1980 leveraged on an education which no one else had. Achieving a standard 6 was enough to see anyone becoming a teacher in the day. In addition, it took a lot of commitment to any parent to want to send their child to school as many did not have the financial resources which could allow their child to earn the much converted standard 6. But the teaching fraternity of the day rested on its laurels and forgot that the laws of demand and supply is what drove them to occupy that superior position in society. The society we live in is ever evolving and failure to adapt will lead to extinction. Teachers need to realise that gone are the days when teaching was as prestigious because not so many of the people then were educated. The process of continuous learning is a must in order for teachers to survive this ever changing environment. Having been a teacher myself, and having interacted with teachers for some time, I discovered that there is a tendency of teachers thinking that they have arrived when they get to be teaching at a prestigious school. The process of continual developing evades them and they are concerned with getting more and more. I have an inspirational story of one Dr. Chitakure, a true example of continuous learning. Not being satisfied with what he had saw him enrolling for a Master’s Degree in the United States and he challenged himself to the point where he is a Doctor of Philosophy to this day. So teachers cannot cry and complain of lack of opportunities because the opportunities are plenty, the process requires initiative and focus.

Highly Rewarding

As previously alluded to, the high demand for teachers and their low supply meant that their price tag would be higher as well. Teachers were highly remunerated and lived a more than decent life. However, the educational development which saw the churning out of degree holders in their thousands meant there was always pressure on the fraternity. The pathetic economic situation has further exacerbated the situation with the majority of the civil servants not being adequately rewarded for their work. However, the increased literacy rate also meant that the skills premium in industry also rose as more professions started earning more than teachers, this thus meant that teaching was no longer as coveted a profession as before. Because of that lack of interest and so did the respect go with it.

Technology

Technology has not only affected production oriented professions but rather it has cut across the board. Teachers have not been spared by this threat. From satellite stations offering lessons to e-learning platforms providing the much needed material, Technology has transformed the way 21^st century students learn. The Zimbabwe government has been on a STEM subjects drive but I am of the opinion that ignoring the technology threat will only but worsen the situation. Teachers need to embrace technology particularly those that are young so they also make the learning experience much more interesting. Technology may not completely replace the human teacher but the way in which robotics and artificial intelligence are increasingly threatening many careers they cannot go unnoticed. If self-driving cars are a reality, why not robots that can interact with children 24/7?

Concluding…

The inability of teachers to invest in continuous learning will continue to put them on a sliding career path as the world changes. Teachers need to appreciate that they need to continue learning in order for them to remain relevant in their work. Continuous learning is not only through enrolling for more formal education but rather searching for material that is relevant to their area of interest and reading it. Teachers are at the source of information particularly in Zimbabwe which creates an opportunity for them to collaborate with researchers. Research is a good area for continuous learning and creation of alternative career paths for teachers. The teaching experience creates a competitive advantage for them to leverage on when they move into such fields as mentorship, career guidance, psychology, and research. Teachers need to develop skills, skills that renders them relevant no matter the kind of change that the world may throw at them.

Mufundisi Lovedalearticle