By Takudzwa Madondo
Teachers across the country returned to classrooms today for the first term of the academic year but many did so under severe financial strain, the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has said.
The union says worsening economic conditions are making it increasingly difficult for teachers to fully resume their duties despite what it describes as a strong commitment to their profession.
ARTUZ says many teachers are struggling to afford basic necessities such as food, transport and school fees for their own children leaving some unable to travel back to their work stations.
Speaking to 263Chat, ARTUZ National Secretary for Education and Research Gerald Tavengwa described the situation as dire.
“Our teachers have shown their willingness to return to work on opening day but the reality on the ground is that they are impoverished.
“Many are failing to go back to their stations because they don’t have transport money, they don’t have food, and in many cases, they can’t even pay school fees for their own children,” he said
Tavengwa said the financial hardships are undermining teachers’ ability to perform their roles effectively even though they are eager to teach.
“Teachers really want to go back to work and teach our children but currently they lack the means — transport, food and basic income — to sustain themselves,” he added.
The union pointed to the strong 2025 A-Level pass rate as evidence of teachers’ dedication, saying the results were achieved despite the difficult material conditions under which educators are working.
ARTUZ says teachers’ salaries have for years failed to keep pace with the country’s rising cost of living, a situation it has previously described as forcing educators deeper into poverty.
“With the earnings they get, teachers cannot afford transport to school and struggle to put food on the table,” Tavengwa said, adding that the situation was “unacceptable and unsustainable”.
The union is now calling on the government to show what it describes as genuine commitment to improving teachers’ welfare urging authorities to move beyond dialogue and take concrete action to address pay and working conditions.
