DR MUSHIMBA APPLAUDS THE NEW DAWN ADMINISTRATION OVER TEACHER RECRUITMENT
….says PF would have done the same considering it’s massive infrastructure development
Lusaka…. Wednesday, July 20, 2022 (Smart Eagles)
While acknowledging that arrogance kicked PF out of power last year, Former Minister of Higher Education Dr. Brian Mushimba has hinted that the former ruling party would have equally employed teachers had it won elections.
Dr Mushimba explained that the PF had laid down the foundation on which the New Dawn Administration recruited the teachers.
He indicated that the PF had heavily invested in infrastructure which had decongested schools and has now created room for additional staff and learners.
Dr Mushimba said this when he featured on a special program on TV Bakwetu.
“With PF there was a lot of push on creating an environment before taking advantage of that environment. There was a lot of push in creating the infrastructure… the massive recruitment that the UPND has been able to do is on the back of the massive infrastructure the PF constructed. If PF had won, probably this conversation is what we would also be having now,” he said.
Dr Mushimba has however applauded the New Dawn Administration for the recruitment. He however said access and quality of education must go hand in hand.
And Dr Mushimba said that it will take a while for teachers to be put on payroll.
“This is a promise that the UPND made to the party and every time a government that promised achieves what it promised, we need to recognize,” he said.
“Even here the 30,000 plus teachers that have been recruited, it’s not going to be just like snapping fingers they are on payroll. It’s going to be a problem to get them on payroll. It’s a government wide problem that needs to be addressed.”
Dr Mushimba urged the New Dawn Administration to reform the government system.
“We hope the New Dawn Government is not going to inherit the shortfalls and weaknesses in the system and live with them for the next five years. Because they will become the decampaigning point for them when they go into 2026,” he said.
“We urge them to step back, understand the challenges that are there and find a model that can address this systematically and I will not run away from this word called reform. If they don’t reform how government functions, they will face the consequences.”