{"id":20449,"date":"2026-01-13T09:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T09:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/20449\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T09:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T09:47:09","slug":"teachers-return-to-school-amid-mounting-cost-of-living-pressures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/20449\/","title":{"rendered":"Teachers Return to School amid Mounting Cost of Living Pressures"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"West<\/a>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

By Takudzwa Madondo<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Speaking to 263Chat, ARTUZ National Secretary for Education and Research Gerald Tavengwa described the situation as dire.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur teachers have shown their willingness to return to work on opening day but the reality on the ground is that they are impoverished.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany are failing to go back to their stations because they don\u2019t have transport money, they don\u2019t have food, and in many cases, they can\u2019t even pay school fees for their own children,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

Tavengwa said the financial hardships are undermining teachers\u2019 ability to perform their roles effectively even though they are eager to teach.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeachers really want to go back to work and teach our children but currently they lack the means \u2014 transport, food and basic income \u2014 to sustain themselves,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The union pointed to the strong 2025 A-Level pass rate as evidence of teachers\u2019 dedication, saying the results were achieved despite the difficult material conditions under which educators are working.<\/p>\n

ARTUZ says teachers\u2019 salaries have for years failed to keep pace with the country\u2019s rising cost of living, a situation it has previously described as forcing educators deeper into poverty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the earnings they get, teachers cannot afford transport to school and struggle to put food on the table,\u201d Tavengwa said, adding that the situation was \u201cunacceptable and unsustainable\u201d.<\/p>\n

The union is now calling on the government to show what it describes as genuine commitment to improving teachers\u2019 welfare urging authorities to move beyond dialogue and take concrete action to address pay and working conditions.<\/p>\n

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