The Ministry of General Education says there is a senior teachers’ union official who is using head teachers and provincial education officers to destabilise the ministry and government by influencing civil servants to resist transfers.
In a statement issued yesterday, Ministry of General Education spokesperson Nondo Chilonga warned that officers found perpetrating such vices would be disciplined.
“The Ministry of General Education is aware of a senior union official who is using school head teachers and is also working with some provincial education officer to destabilise the ministry in perpetrating hate and character assassination to the Ministry and the leadership of government. These people are peddling lies against the ministry and government officials by issuing false allegations which are aimed at eroding people’s confidence and trust in the ministry,” Chilonga stated.
He stated that officers who were against transfers aimed at reducing residence monotony of officers had resorted to championing lies against the ministry and government officials.
“The Ministry of General Education is in the process of being realigned in order to enhance effectiveness and efficiency. It has been revealed that the ministry’s efforts of raising education standards by reducing residence monotony of officers and teachers that have overstayed in the system by way of effecting transfers has been received negatively,” Chilonga stated.
“Some officers are not responding positively to the changes being made and have resorted to causing confusion by championing lies against the ministry and government officials.The ministry is not in support of the detractors. Such negative efforts will not detract the positive works being carried out within the education sector. As a result, the ministry will continue working in line with the direction of government and work towards its vision of promoting quality education service delivery,” he stated.
Chilonga further warned that officers found perpetrating such vices would be dealt with through existing disciplinary standards.
“Discipline is key in the ministry of education and all officers and teachers are expected to be disciplined at all times. Officers found perpetrating such vices will be dealt with through the existing disciplinary standards or procedures,” he stated.
“The ministry would like to urge teachers and teacher unions to utilise existing technology opportunities such as Teachers Forums responsibly. The forums can be utilised as platforms to build themselves professionally as they share productive information aimed at enhancing their careers and improving their professional standards. Stakeholders should therefore resist from using new media and other traditional media to disregard others and incite negative developments,” Chilonga stated.
