Zimbabwe’s education sector is under growing strain as the teacher-to-pupil ratio continues to spiral out of control, reaching alarming levels that threaten the quality of learning across the country. According to a damning new report by the joint Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education and the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development, the average classroom now houses one teacher for every 45 pupils—well above the recommended standard of one teacher for every 20 early childhood learners and 40 primary school pupils.
The parliamentary report lays bare the systemic challenges undermining universal access to basic education, attributing much of the crisis to the government’s continued freeze on recruitment. The committee noted that at least 8,000 qualified teachers are still waiting for deployment, with their appointments stalled pending Treasury approval.
“The teacher-pupil ratio is a vital measure of education quality,” the report states. “Many schools are dangerously overcrowded, making it difficult for teachers to manage classrooms effectively and deliver quality instruction.”
Urban areas like Mabvuku-Tafara-Epworth are among the worst affected. Schools there have resorted to “hot-sitting” arrangements, forcing students to attend classes in alternating shifts due to a lack of classroom space and teaching staff. While the system is an attempt to manage space constraints, the report notes that it negatively impacts students with disabilities, who often require more tailored attention and longer instructional hours.
In rural districts such as Gwanda, the situation is even more dire. The committee found cases where teaching posts remain vacant for years after a teacher leaves or retires, particularly in science, mathematics, and agriculture. With no replacements in sight, existing teachers are overwhelmed, and student performance is declining.
Lack of housing for teachers has only compounded the problem. At Mount Makomwe Primary School in Marange, 18 teachers are forced to share seven homes, with limited access to toilets or running water. Many educators travel long distances from nearby towns, arriving at schools well after the official start time and missing valuable teaching hours.
Zimbabwe’s Teacher Shortage Crisis Deepens Amid Soaring Pupil Numbers and Crumbling Infrastructure
“It is practically impossible to recruit and retain qualified teachers in rural areas without proper housing and essential amenities,” the report warns. Lawmakers noted that the poor living conditions are pushing more into urban centres, further deepening the rural-urban education gap.
The committee has made several urgent recommendations. Chief among them is a call for the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to immediately lift the hiring freeze and approve the recruitment of teachers by June 30, 2025. It also urged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to begin constructing new schools by March 2025, to reduce congestion and ensure that no child walks more than five kilometres to attend school.
The report further calls for community participation in school feeding programmes, expanded access to digital tools in rural schools, and more support for learners with disabilities, including assistive technologies and trained special needs staff.
“The Ministry should undertake a thorough assessment of teacher accommodation needs and make rural infrastructure a top priority,” the report added.
(ZIMTA) echoed the findings, with Secretary-General Goodwill Taderera raising alarms over the unsustainable size of some schools. He revealed that several urban schools now have over 2,000 pupils—far beyond the original design capacity of just 500.
“These schools are bursting at the seams. Hot-sitting is just a band-aid solution. The education system is being hollowed out, and parents are being forced into expensive private schools that often operate with little regulation,” Taderera said.
He also criticised the government’s decision to export teachers to countries such as Rwanda while local schools suffer from severe staffing shortages. “How can we justify sending qualified teachers abroad when our own children are being taught in overcrowded classrooms or by unqualified staff? It’s both irresponsible and unacceptable,” he said.
With both parliamentary committees and education unions now sounding the alarm, the message is clear: Zimbabwe must take immediate and sustained action to reverse the decline in its education system. If teacher recruitment, infrastructure development, and working conditions are not urgently addressed, the country risks creating a lost generation deprived of quality education.
Source- Bulawayo24
