The Ministry of Education has disclosed that it cannot initiate the process of securing foreign teaching jobs for the teachers that were left out after the recent massive recruitment as there is still a deficit of teachers in Zambia .
Questions have arisen as to why some of the excess teachers who were left out can not be aided to go and work in other foreign countries were they have ready opening so that the teachers can start earning a living and Zambia can start benefiting from remittances. Moreover, more teachers are expected to graduate this year which will only increase the numbers of unemployed teachers.
This follows the just ended teacher recruitment were over 120,000 teachers were reported to have applied for the 2022 teacher recruitment but government only managed to recruit 30,494 teachers leaving over 70,000 teachers unemployed.
Responding to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT on why government is not facilitating for skilled labour exports as done by other countries which have huge diaspora communities across the world, the Permanent Secretary – PS at the Ministry of Education disclosed that there is still a deficit of teachers in the country.
He explained that about 115,000 teachers are needed in the country but government only managed to recruit about 30,500 because it does not have money to recruit all the needed teachers compliment. “Before we decide to export skilled teachers, there must be conscious that we still need them, but what we don’t have is the money to recruit them all, had we had the money, we would employee everybody because we need them” He said.
Kamoko was quick to mention that even if government had recruited all the teachers there was still going to be a shortfall of about 10,000 teachers. But remember that we are trying to stabilize the economy and we have to work closely with the other international partners such as the IMF. So we can’t do crazy things and then the economy is not manageable, it will mean that the same teachers will not get paid.
The employing of about 30, 500 teachers should give hope to those that are still in the streets as there is the second chance coming. The PS said very soon government will need more teachers as there are some teachers who will be retiring this year.
But again, those that want to work outside the country are free to do so. If you follow the AU, SADC and COMESA protocols, no one is restricted to look for employment outside Zambia if they follow the law. But remember again if you are going to look for employment outside the country, you must be duly registered and going abroad is not as easy as it seems, as you only go where there is need.
