Unemployed qualified teachers demand abolishment of costly interviews

A group of unemployed qualified teachers have demanded that interviews be abolished as they are costly.

This is according to the unemployed teachers chairperson, Joyce Liswaniso, during a courtesy visit to State House on Friday.

She said the interviews are marred by nepotism and corruption.

“Most of the interviews are forcing unemployed qualified teachers to sleep at service stations, there are high costs associated with continued submissions of application documents, and there is widespread corruption and nepotism where qualified candidates are frequently overlooked in terms of those with personal connections,” she said.

Liswaniso requested the government and particularly president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to abolish the interview system and make it fair for everyone, especially when there are requirements to travel.

She believes interviews should be centralised to reduce the cost of travelling and ensure all regions are given equal opportunities to undergo such interviews without having to travel.

The group further demanded that the high unemployment of qualified teachers be reduced and that posts be created to absorb these teachers.

They are proposing morning and afternoon classes as a solution to address unemployment, adding that students improving their results at local institutions be taught by unemployed qualified teachers as well.

Liswaniso believes this solution will address the current estimated 8 000 unemployed graduates from last year to date, with another 3 000 graduates for 2025 expected to join their ranks.

Nandi-Ndaitwah told the group that a meeting was recently held to address the matter; however, she explained that outcomes of that meeting are still being finalised and that the government, through the line ministry, will give feedback.

She implored the group to remain patient and assured that their concern is being attended to.
The president acknowledged the ongoing crisis of unemployment, not only in the education sector but in other sectors as well.

“Training institutions need to produce graduates with the necessary required skills for the industry market because it makes no sense to train people who will just end up in the unemployment cycle,” she said.

Additionally, she called on the private sector to come on board as the unemployment crisis will not only be addressed by the government alone.

“I am sorry to say this, but unfortunately even if we want to, the government is not able to recruit all unemployed teachers. There will still be some left out and that’s why the private sector must come on board,” she said.

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