By Staff Reporter
The Public Service Commission has stepped in to avert an acute shortage of Advanced Level Science teachers across the country by granting the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to fill available vacancies with university graduates in the specified fields without pedagogy.
In its circular to the Ministry, the PSC Secretary Dr Rosemary Tsitsi Choruma said the Commission had noted the education sector’s struggles to fill Advanced Level science subjects teaching posts.
“It has been noted that the Ministry is facing challenges in finding candidates to fill advanced level posts to teach mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. Please be advised that the Public Service Commission hereby grants the Ministry authority to deploy university graduates with degrees in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology without pedagogy as advanced level teachers,” said the Dr Choruma.
The circular ordered Provincial and District Recruitment Committees to select members without pedagogy from the Public Service Commission recruitment database to fill the advanced level posts giving first priority to candidates who registered earlier.
The PSC further instructed the Ministry to work together with tertiary institutions to ensure the recruited teachers do eventually enrol for the pedagogy qualification.
“The Ministry should partner with Universities and Colleges to enrol the newly recruited teachers for mandatory Post Graduate Diplomas to enable them to acquire pedagogical skills during school holiday.”