The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi Education Correspondent
THE business of teaching and learning in schools never ever in any one way resembled the business of administering soccer worldwide.Schools’ main job was and still is academic, vocational and individual talent development depending on the curriculum thrust an institution chooses to take. The World Football Association (FIFA) and its subsidiaries or associate organisations in different continents and countries has been to make the world’s most beautiful game more beautiful and paying to all those who are involved in whatever way.
No one ever dreamt the two industries would resemble each other in the way their different businesses are administered to achieve objectives through an input and benefit arrangement.
A new phenomenon has emerged in Zimbabwean schools. School heads or owners of private and independent education institutions have adopted the Alex Fergusson-Jose Morinho-Arsene Wenger-Pep Guardiola-Jurgen Klopp strategy of buying players to strengthen the performances of their teams. They have become active scouts and poachers of top-of-the class teachers to galvanise the performances of their private and independent colleges.
Education-Soccer enjoying common denominator! This new phenomenon is fast becoming trendy as teachers are today on a visible exodus, or is it a Hegira or Pilgrimage, from mainstream schools into high paying private institutions.
The Manica Post is aware of this osmotic movement of the best teachers from weak performing typical schools . . . perhaps poorly run schools to private and independent colleges still booming and thriving on a high appetite for success and achievement.
This emigration is caused by several factors: professional stress and fatigue of individual teachers owing to miserable salaries recently plunged further down the poverty datum line by a bleeding economy suffering from both inevitable and unjustified rises in prices of consumer goods and services.
There is also serious dilemma, looming anxiety and fear of the unknown about life. There is quiet anger aroused by prospects of prosperity daily fading in the sun, harvest of thorns and uncertainty of hope.
The reasons are many. But private and independent schools and colleges have responded quickly into pure mercenary tactics where schools and colleges with money will buy the best teachers wherever they are found. And nothing can stop the movement of best teachers from where there is little or nothing to new Canaans where reasonable milk and honey flows.
Who can blame the Pep Guardiolas and Jurgen Klopps for strengthening their territories by buying the best football players? And who can blame the ‘‘mercenaries’’ . . . the Ronaldoes, Neymas and Paul Pogbas moving to top performing clubs for being bought? The football legends ooze money in their legs. And good teachers ooze money too in their abilities! Just watch the trend from now.
If some schools are not careful, they will remain with the worst teachers while the best search for greener pastures even in schools a stone’s throw in their backyards. Money speaks! Back to the old adage!
I can also foresee the quality and quantity of examination results reflecting the osmotic movement of teachers from mainstream to private and independent schools that will pay ‘‘anything’’ for a top-class teacher.
Watch the trend! Study even the 2017 examination results so far released! Elements of what I am saying; namely pass rates favouring independent and private schools are already evident. Watch the 2020 results emanating from the 2019 academic year examinations!
The only interesting but unfortunate difference at the moment is that the school heads (managers) of the schools the teachers are running away from are not ‘‘selling’’ the teachers. They are losing the teachers at no cost. Bad business! Sell the teachers! And make money. Because even if you do not, they will still go anyway! As it is, the transaction only benefits the buyer.
But no doubt, in the short or long term the examination results will speak a lot about this osmosis of best teachers moving from mainstream schools to independent business-run institutions. It will not be surprising to soon find school heads literally ‘‘selling’’ their best teachers to schools that can and want to pay good money. I can foresee a day soon, and very soon, when schools benefit from the sale of teachers.
At the moment because most school heads are not prudent, discreet business people enough, their teachers are going for zeulch.
What a pity! Footballers cleverer, smarter than academic doctors and professors… fundis who should know better! The exclamatory question that begs no robotic answer is, ‘Is it not amazing how a biting economy can birth unimaginable changes in the thought behaviours and adaptive responses of people?
