COLAZ VS ZIMTA WHERE TO COLLEGE LECTURERS?

College lecturers are caught up in the proverbial no-man's land.Educators in the Ministry of Education are members of ZIMTA which addresses all their labour and professional concerns. Most lecturers used to belong to ZIMTA before they moved to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.

To a large extent ZIMTA no longer addresses concerns of lecturers as the majority of its membership are teachers. Therefore, sector specific concerns of lecturers are ignored since lecturers do not have a vibrant union or organization to articulate their concerns.

The College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe [COLAZ] on the other hand is meant to cover these lecturers. However, due to lack of transparency and accountability by the previous leadership, instead of growing the organization has been shunned by the very same people it is meant to represent. The association also suffered a leadership vacuum after the top leaders left the country for greener pastures. This shattered the already fragile reputation it had that lecturers still resort to ZIMTA even if it does not fully represent them.

It is therefore imperative that current efforts being made to resuscitate COLAZ address these issues so that it stands a chance of winning the trust of its intended constituencies and being a true representative of lecturers.

DOES THE 2-5-2 PROGRAMME HAVE RELEVANCE IN TEACHER EDUCATION IN ZIMBABWE?

The 2-5-2 model of training was adopted in Zimbabwe's primary school teacher training colleges to have a more practical approach in the teaching of primary school . Students spend an disrupted 5 term stretch on teaching practice and only 4 terms at college during the 9 term course.This programme relies heavily on mentoring and college based supervision whereby students are constantly supervised by lecturers.

In Zimbabwe this programme has been a failure in that colleges have been accused of mass production and churning out half baked product who do not know how to teach. Institutions have not been given the necessary infrastructural support by government to ensure that the programme is a success. Lack of vehicles for teaching practice supervision has ensured that some students were not supervised since the last term before assessment thereby defeating the objective of the programme.

Furthermore, due to limited resources, colleges were unable to produce distance education material in the form of modules which are s prerequisite to any distance education programme. Therefore, colleges should just revert to the conventional programme to continue producing quality teachers.

PROFESSIONALISM VERSUS MONEY?

Ancillary staff in institutions, especially those commonly referred to as 'general hands' i.e. cleaners and cooks do a thankless job as they sweat and their efforts are rarely acknowledged and rarely, financially rewarded. They are usually looked down upon especially by their educated and professional colleagues as they are seen as failures who failed to get academic as well as professional qualifications.

However since the adoption of the multi-currency system in the country, everyone wants the extra rand or dollar regardless of their position in an institution. This has led to the marginalization of workers in the lower grades by those in positions of authority who abuse their authority to usurp the duties and rewards of those.

Some institutions hire out their facilities and cleaners get extra money for participating in such fund-raising ventures. However, these days it is not unusual to find that during such ventures professionals in institutions such as accountants, secretary and human resources officers become cleaners and cooks having muscled out the bonafide cleaners. This is especially so in government institutions where workers are still getting' peanuts' in terms of remuneration. It appears greed has eroded the professional conscience and 'ubuntu' in some individuals

Administrators definitely have to address such issues whereby employees are denied what should ideally be theirs to prevent demotivation and frustration within the organization.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: DOES IS IT HAVE A PLACE IN OUR TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS?

In 1995 the government of Zimbabwe gazetted that prospective female students at the country's universities be admitted for study at lower entry points than their male counterparts. This was meant to level the playing field for the girl child who spends a lot of time doing domestic chores unlike the boy child who has plenty of time to study.

While this was a noble and appropriate initiative, in some quarters this has created some stigma in that the females who are admitted on lesser points than boys are made to feel as if they do not deserve to be there by those who have the required the qualifying points. This demotivates them as they are looked down upon.

It is interesting to note that for example, the minimum number of points a student should have to qualify for study at the UZ is 2 points. However, because of stiff competition for the few available places the entry point had to be raised so that only the best could attain varsity education, and not necessarily that someone with 3 points is dumb. It is hoped that with the increase in the number of universities across the country, the entry points will come down so that all those who would have passed their A'Levels even with 2 points can access varsity education locally. This being the case, then there will not be any need for affirmative action.

LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION A NECCESSITY AND NOT AN OPTION!!

Education should make make learners aware that they can be vehicles of social transformation and not produce half baked and unproductive and unimaginative professionals.

UCE offers Health and Life Skills education which is meant to empower the student so that he or she can confidently face various social challenges such as HIV/AIDS and the socioeconomic situation in our country which has seen the rise of childheaded homes as parents leave for greener pastures.

Graduates from the college are thus expected to help mitigate these problems through active and meaningful interaction with their various communities. The students are made aware that their duties go beyond the classroom and that their communities look up to them for information and guidance.

UCE PROMOTING EDUCATION FOR THE VULNERABLE IN SOCIETY

United College of Education has the distinction of being the only teacher training institution in the country that offers the Special Needs Education diploma. The programme is offered as an in-service programe to qualified teachers who have at least two years teaching experience.

The programme is meant to help and equip teachers in dealing with and teaching the vulnerable children in society who are often marginalised and abused because of their disability. The following areas of specialization are offered: Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment and Mental Retardation. Students doing this programme do their teaching practice in special schools such as John Slaven, King George VI, Emerald Hill etc. It is envisaged that through doing teaching practice at those institutions, the students get the chance to put into practice the theory they would have got from the lectures.

The college is regardedby the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education as a centre of excellence in Special Needs Education. As a result, a member from the department was seconded to Namibia in 2006 to help the Namibian Education authorities introduce the programme to their teacher training institutions. Such regional affirmation is testimony to the quality of the product produced by the college.

The college through its Special Needs Education Department has been doing its fair share of Corporate Social Responsibility. Lecturers in the Department offer lectures on Hearing, Visual Impairment and Mental Retardation to second year nursing students at Mpilo Central Hospital. This is a good way of net working and information sharing more is expected from this working together of the two institutions.

UCE: LEADING THE WAY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

United College of Education has continued to be a citadel of excellence and has carved a niche for itself in Zimbabwe's education landscape over the past forty years. The college has been able to continually reinvent itself thus remaining relevant.

UCE in its pursuit of of excellence and in enhancing its competitive edge, in September 2005 introduced the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programe which effectively replaced the Infant Education programe that was being offered. This was the culmination of an innovative vision to develop a comprehensive product in Early Childhood Education. Furthermore, it was also a positive response to government efforts to rationalize and standardize pre-school education (that has for years been dominated by private organizations and individuals) through the introduction of Grade Zero in schools.

Unlike its predecessor, the ECD programme does not only focus on school going children (Grades 1-3), but it focuses on the child from the ante-natal stage with activities to meant to stimulate it, through the pre-school stage up to the time it gets to Grade 3.

The programe is poised for a powerful impact on the education system in Zimbabwe. The new ECD specialists are therefore expected to effectively impart their newly acquired skills in the various communities they will be serving. They are expected to illuminate the way for those who have been practicing without specialized knowledge. The college proudly presented to the nation of Zimbabwe the pioneer group from this programme at its August 2009 graduation ceremony.

INCENTIVES! INCENTIVES! INCENTIVES!

Educators in the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture as well as those in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education ( Teacher Education and Polytechnics) are employees of the Public Service Commission. These are currently being paid a pittance as a salary and this has negatively affected morale as well as service provision.

In light of this, the Ministry of Education has allowed schools to provide incentives (monetary and otherwise) for teachers to motivate and retain them. While this has motivated teachers to some extent, it has demotivated lecturers in colleges as their parent ministry has not done the same and does not seem to intend to do so in the foreseeable future. It then lies with individual institutions to come up with their own schemes to ensure that lecturers continue reporting for work and diligently doing their work.

United College of Education has to a limited extent tried to do something which can still be improved on . At the moment the college provides transport for its staff members from the city centre to the college. Furthermore, lunch is provided for all members on Wednesdays as students have to come to college for project supervision. While this is a noble attempt it is not enough and more needs to be done and can be done. Lecturers need more than food and free transport, they have families to take care of as well as bills and rates to pay.

The college hires out its facilities to organizations such as ZIMSEC for marking and is a favourite conference venue for many church organisations. Funds raised from such ventures can then be paid to staff to motivate them.

It is important to remember that an employee is the most important PR person in an organisation and conveys the organisation's image.

TO COMMENT OR NOT TO COMMENT, THAT'S THE QUESTION

In public relations the journalist and the PR practitioner both need each other to do their jobs effectively. The PR person needs the media to gain exposure for the company while the journalist views the PR person as a news source . How does the PR person handle sensitive or pertinent issues asked by journalists?

Silence and 'no comment' are some of the responses that have been made in light of media inquiries. Such responses negatively affect media relations which should be based on mutual respect and trust. Deflecting questions from the media will not kill a negative story or make the crisis disappear. Journalists will not stop pursuing a story because the organisation has refused to comment. This fuels speculation and the public will immediately think the organisation has something to hide and therefore guilty. The best approach is to positively respond so that the organisation's story is heard from the company instead of from other sources which might present the company negatively.

The 'no comment' response by the Headmistress of Eveline High School over a front page Sunday News story where she is alleged to have stripped and canned some A-Level students left her and the school open to suspicion. Her response was viewed as some sort of admission of guilt and that she had something to hide.

One may ask 'could she have handled it better?'
Yes she could. If her employment terms do not allow her to talk to the media, she could have explained this courteously and then referred the reporter to the Provincial Education officer who has authority to talk to the media. However, her silence and negative attitude have affected public perception of her as a leader and the school as well. She came out as an arrogant person who had a lot to hide.

It is therefore, important to note that when dealing with the media silence and 'no comment' do not necessarily mean that one is not communicating. Infact the reverse is true and has adverse effects.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

Government institutions at the moment are currently cash strapped as they are not receiving adequate voted funds to maintain their infrastructure and continue their everyday operations. This has resulted in the dilapidated state that characterises most institutions. Even now the government has not yet raised enough funds to repair the damaged infrastructure. It is therefore up to the institutions to see what they can do to profitably and sustainably support themselves.

For years UCE has appealed to relevant authorities to secure vehicles for the college but nothing has been forthcoming. However, the college decided to take it upon itself to do something positive and began hiring out its facilities for church conferences, weddings, as well as for ZIMSEC marking sessions.

From funds raised from these activities, the institution has bought a brand new double cab vehicle for the principal, a single cab truck will be bought by the end of the month, a new deep freezer was bought for the kitchen as well as five computers and seven printers. This is a big achievement for the college considering that all this was done in ten months.

This goes to show that government institutions can do tangible and positive things without necessarily waiting for handouts from government.

IMAGE AND REPUTATION ; SHOULD PARASTATALS CARE?

Image and reputation are critical to any organisation if it is to meaningfully carry out its operations and achieve its goals.
ZIMSEC, Zimbabwe's school examination board is a case point. The organisation has been dogged by crisis after crisis. One can say this is a result of failing to focus on the concerns of its publics and fostering good reputation by delivering what is espoused in its mission statement. Most people no longer want to be asssociated with Zimsec because of examination leakage scandals, candidates getting results for exams they would not have sat for, missing results, delays in releasing results and poor labour relations characterised by strikes by exam markers as well as full time employees.
So what does it mean for ZIMSEC? The organisation has lost all credibility, it is now perceived negatively, nobody wants to be associated with it. Its certificates are no longer recognised internationally. Candidates now opt for the Cambridge exam inspite of it being expensive. ZIMSEC needs restore the lost trust through renewing its commitment to quality and actively seeking from publics and being responsive to their concerns.
The organisation's PR department has work overtime to come up with a meaningful campaign, not just a cosmetic one, aimed at regaining the trust of the various publics. Effective public relations that tells the company's story in an honest and accurate way,is what is needed to establish a reputation for credibility. It will also need to play the role of advocate within the organisation i.e. bringing public perspective to the organisation. In that way the organisation's ability to respond to public concerns will be fostered. Failure to do so will ceratainly threaten the survival of ZIMSEC.

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND CSR IN ZIMBABWE

Corporate Social Responsibility has long been associated with the corporate world, most probably due to the use of the term 'corporate.' This l believe, has led to a number of public institutions in Zimbabwe taking a back seat and not doing their part in positively impacting their various communities outside their core businesses. Financial institutions have been at the forefront of corporate citizenship through donations to charities and sponsoring various events such as sporting activities.
Public Institutions have been paralysed by lack of financial resources and one might ask how institutions such as schools and tertiary institutions such as teachers' colleges and polytechnics can be expected to engage in CSR when they are also in dire need of financial assistance. CSR can take many forms of which financial assistance is one. Institutions with limited capital can offer for example, their time and services to certain publics to build or cement already existing relationships. Activities such as cleaning up malls e.g Lobengula Street Mall and Egodini Terminus in Bulawayo can influence attitudes through conscientising publics on the benefits of living in a clean environment. Futhermore, the institution that engages in such activities creates a good name and image for itself which is one of the functions or goals of Public Relations.