The Zimbabwean government plans to recruit more than 8,000 teachers in 2025, aiming to significantly reduce the teacher-pupil ratio and enhance the quality of education nationwide.
"In 2024 we recruited more than 5 000 teachers. That has tremendously reduced the high teacher-pupil ratio. With more support in 2025, we expect to recruit more than 8 000 so that we can reduce the teacher-pupil ratio to around 1:30 or 35," Education Minister Dr. Torerai Moyo said, expressed gratitude to President Mnangagwa for securing the necessary funding.
The government is also implementing several measures to improve teacher working conditions and incentivize recruitment in rural areas, including hardship allowances for teachers in remote locations who often face significant commutes.
According to the minister, recruitment is being decentralized to ensure competent teachers are deployed effectively across the country. "Where teachers might be walking a kilometer or more, we tend to provide a hardship allowance," he said.
"The Government has solarized some of the schools supported by UNICEF. We receive support from the fiscus where we are allocated funds towards teaching learning materials. About 150 schools were solarized this year," Dr. Moyo said, adding that plans are in place to construct an additional 2,800 schools.