The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi Educational Correspondent
THE Secretary for education in the Anglican diocesan office Mr Tendai Mandiringa, has revealed that as part of a rebranding of Anglican schools, his office has organised a teachers’ convention to see the birth of an Anglican Teachers’ Association.
Mr Mandiringa told The Manica Post that the rebranding of schools was overdue.
“First, an association will give teachers a forum to engage on all issues that affect their work and well-being . . . and to engage with power to make or break. An association will empower teachers to be part of a whole process of making things or breaking them. Second, the reality on the ground today in the context of the country’s economy, perceptions, attitudes of teachers and learners demands a different mind–set and strategic planning,” he said.
“We cannot leave teachers out of such an important process.”
The teachers’ convention is on Friday 24 May 2019. It will be convened at St Augustine’s High School.
“The Anglican teachers’ convention is expected to be attended by 600 teachers. Here we will begin our drive to change the attitudes, hearts and minds of school principals, chaplains, school heads, SDC chairpersons and teachers towards one common vision of a new academic approach and administrative psyche of self-sufficiency at every school,” he said.
“This, we will achieve through dialogue and discussion in a series of scheduled workshops and meetings,” he said.
By a “psyche of self-sufficiency”, Mr Mandiringa was referring to the need for mission farm schools to begin to utilise the vast expanses of land that lie idle as a strategy for self-sufficiency.
“We were at St Noah College today in Marange where all our school principals, heads and chaplains were on a tour of learning to tap knowledge and wisdom to rebrand our schools to fit the realities on the ground. We are yet to embark on the same mission at two or three other schools. We cannot continue to squeeze the empty pockets of parents by demanding ever-increasing school fees when we can do a lot at our schools to make money and cut down on expenditure. You will be interested to know we have even hired a special private advisor and consultant to make sure we do the right thing and do it almost at once.”
Speaking on the same occasion, the Anglican Teachers’ Convention chairperson, Mr Caston Chigweshe, said Friday 24 May 2019, at St Augustine’s Mission, one of the aims of the convention is to launch a properly constituted Anglican teachers’ association geared to imbibe this new mind-set of academic and administrative rebranding.
“Running under the theme ‘Better Together’, the ATC will on the day transform into a fully fledged association recognising the critical needs of unity of purpose and common understanding,” said Mr Chigweshe.
“There are several key stakeholders involved in the process of rebranding and re-strategizing on particular issues, but the part the teachers play in the whole game-plan cannot be overlooked or underestimated. The days of imposing things on people you expect cooperation from are long gone. We need to engage with our teachers on this key idea of school rebranding but other issues viewed as critically important by our teachers shall be discussed on the day.”
He added that it was a day for teachers to mix and mingle and make new friends.
Many people are tired of reading negative stories, both true and false, about the Anglican Church.
The church recently “adopted” more than 30 students left without school following the closure of St Charles Luangwa in the aftermath of the unforgettable Cyclone Idai.
It integrated the school-less students into five of their six boarding schools, St Faith’s, St Augustine’s, St Mary Magdeline, St Matthias -Tsonzo and St Anne’s-Goto.
Well done! These are the stories people want to hear or read about . . . progress on philanthropic and developmental issues not pointless strife, conflicts, backbiting and intriguing.
