Tinotenda Hove-Zimbabwe’s schools have reopened for the third term, but the return to classrooms is being overshadowed by unresolved concerns over teachers’ welfare, salaries and working conditions.

The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) has welcomed the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s directive for schools to open on 8 September, but says the circular exposes a familiar problem: government is demanding that teachers deliver results while doing little to address the conditions under which they are expected to work.

In a statement issued on Monday, 7 September 2026, ZIMTA said it supported the Ministry’s emphasis on inclusive education, safeguarding teaching time, collective responsibility and fair approaches to school uniforms.

However, the union criticised the circular for failing to address what it considers one of the most pressing issues affecting the education sector — teacher welfare.

“ZIMTA’s main concern is that the Ministry’s circular says nothing about teacher welfare,” the union said, pointing to salaries, incentives, allowances for teachers carrying special responsibilities and broader working conditions.

The omission, according to the teachers’ body, raises questions about how government expects educators to maintain effective learning standards when their own concerns remain unresolved.

ZIMTA is therefore calling on the Ministry and Treasury to urgently address teachers’ salaries and incentives either before schools open or at the beginning of the new term.

The union also warned that teachers are being placed under increasing pressure as they are expected to implement the heritage-based curriculum while simultaneously preparing pupils for major public examinations.

The demands are particularly heavy during the third term, which includes Grade 7, O-Level and A-Level examinations.

ZIMTA argued that expecting teachers to manage these responsibilities without sufficient resources and manageable class sizes could further strain an already pressured education system.

The dispute over school fees is another area where teachers are being left to carry the burden of government policy.

According to ZIMTA, school heads and teachers frequently find themselves on the frontline when parents fail to pay fees and levies, creating unnecessary tensions between schools and communities.

The union wants the Ministry to provide clearer and more compassionate guidance on fee collection while ensuring that government meets its obligations under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM).

While authorities focus on getting schools open and maintaining the appearance of normalcy, ZIMTA’s concerns suggest that reopening classrooms does not automatically mean the education system is functioning effectively.

Teachers are being asked to deliver better educational outcomes, implement new curriculum demands and prepare learners for examinations — yet the fundamental question of how their own welfare will be protected remains largely unanswered.

For ZIMTA, the problem is not simply whether schools open on time. It is whether government is prepared to provide teachers with the conditions and support necessary to make the education system work.