By Takura Zhangazha*
A Presentation to the Young Teachers Association of the Progressive
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe
15 December 2023.
ZESA Training Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Dear Cde Young Teachers of the Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ),
Let me begin by thanking you for inviting me to this important
gathering which you are holding under the theme, “Young Teachers, The Bedrock
of a Credible Teaching Profession” with the subtheme that I have been asked to
hold a brief discussion about concerning, “The Importance of Young Teachers in
Advancing the Pan Africanist Agenda”.
Before I go into the brief presentation I have been asked to
make, I must thank Cde Ray Majongwe the Secretary General of the PTUZ and Cde
Takavafira Zhou, PTUZ president and also the general leadership of the PTUZ for not
only remaining true to their unionism on behalf of the teaching profession but
also being even truer to what I am certain are their progressive ideological
values. The latter values being those I
am certain you share or else you would not be part of this meeting.
Let me begin my brief presentation with a few historical
pointers. The teaching profession is
one of the most liberatory professions in Zimbabwe. Never mind that it has be denigrated in
various circles and undermined by various post-independence governments’ and
neo-liberal political economics in recent years.
It is as you say, the
‘bedrock’ of what is and can be a progressive national consciousness. Most of our nationalist leaders and also those
that left schools to become guerrillas knew that the one thing that was always important
was the passing on of again, progressive knowledge through the practice of
teaching.
Teaching was one of the most radically conscious professions
of any African liberation struggle. And
it remained so even after our national independence. As trade unionists you would understand this better
than I do.
It was the teacher who always brought new knowledge to a
remote or marginalised community. The one
who taught young Zimbabweans to read and discern.
It was also the
teacher who was the most recognised intellectual in a village or ghetto (with
or without the money) and the one who would eventually disrupt repressive
colonial discourses to lead to a new national consciousness among the youth,
the middle aged worker and the old.
Hence the still revered and indefatigable term, “Mwalimu” in
Swahili. Whether in reference to the
great African Julius Nyerere or in our own Zimbabwean context, just “teacher”
and how he/she would make us quake in our bare feet about a pending punishment
for underperforming in one form or the other.
So the teaching profession that you have chosen, for various personal reasons is almost a calling, an historical national consciousness vocation. And let no one lie to you about this. Even though I know that the aforementioned issues may appear abstract to trade unionists, they remain an historical fact.
Members of the teaching profession are the
bedrock of our national consciousness.
Second only to our mothers and sisters in our African contexts.
I know as young teachers you have conversations about the
material benefits of your profession. Your salaries and other benefits. Or whether
you bought a stand, a flat, solar panels or cattle. It is completely understandable. But even if you did not want it or will it,
you are the contemporary bedrock of our national consciousness.
You teach young Zimbabweans how to perceive, behave and
realise success in life at an early age.
Even if in a good number of cases
you get disappointed in things that are beyond your control such as family
issues and also monetary/economic considerations of what was once your
brightest student.
But let me quickly get back to the agreed discussion point. This being the teaching profession and what we now refer to as Pan Africanism (thanks to our own organic historical struggles against colonialism and neo-imperialism)
There are few revered nationalists
on the African continent who did not either start off with teaching or who did
not eventually end up teaching in our refugee or training camps.
As most of you based on your own post-independence theoretical
or philosophical training may know, there was a left leaning cde called Paulo
Freire who taught us what he referred to as the “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. It
was not only a revolutionary teaching philosophy but also one that has stood
the test of time. In this, we are all historical
beings, and who better to pursue and teach that understanding than young
teachers themselves!
You teach in order to let others become free of ignorance!
Not only an ignorance of letters and figures but also to
free our pupils and students of an ignorance of organic historical
consciousness.
So when you are asked about Pan Africanism and teaching
there are at least two key elements that you must always bear in mind. You are
not only teaching mathematics, accounts, business studies, geography, agriculture, history, economics
or general science. You are teaching the future.
And let me briefly explain what I mean by “teaching the future.” The knowledge that you have, that you will also have as you further your own studies and stations in life, is knowledge that is perpetually not your own to keep.
In your profession, in your
unionism, you know that it has to be passed on.
Even if you were not adequately rewarded for it. It is unavoidable. As a teacher, young or old, the raison’ de ’etre
of your work is essentially to pass on and create knowledge to the best of your
ability.
Let me turn to Pan Africanism as a concept as advised by the organisers. It is both geographical and more significantly ideological. By this I mean that indees you are physically in Africa but it does not mean you exude Pan Africanist consciousness. The latter is all about intellectual and cultural fortitude of what it means to be African. And what you infuse in your work about being African.
Locations of where you teach remains important. But what you teach is even more important. Young African cdes need, want to be infused with their own African being.
The teacher is therefore a harbinger
of historical knowledge about African being and African identity. But as alluded to earlier,
the teacher is also like a weather forecaster about what the future holds.
The specifically young teacher in the contemporary has a lot more pressures beyond patriotism and nationalism. Both at a personal and a professional level.
But
the default Pan Africanist knowledge in the young teacher is also about contextual
presence, being, analysis and foresight.
You have to ask yourself, “ Why do we teach?Is it only for the money or for a newer Pan
African Educational Consciousness?”
Indeed teaching is a profession
but it remains beyond meagre salaries. I
know some of you young cdes want to quit it to pursue for example care work abroad. But even in your departure your students look up to and yearn for your knowledge and expertise.
Yours is a noble profession.
It is a profession that helps shape Zimbabwe’s future. Even if you are in the deepest of a rural
area. You matter. Never forget that.
Let me conclude my brief remarks by way of encouragement.
Times are tough in the teaching profession. They
may even get tougher. Hold fast to the
future. You are always going to be
organic to this country and its future.
I will end with a Marechera quote about teaching. He was asked why he does not want to be a teacher. He replied, and I am paraphrasing here, “I
would not want the next generations’ mistakes on my conscience”.
If you read and understand between the lines, what Marechera recognised was the historical burden you have on your shoulders. Even when you are frustrated, dissapointed, keep at it.
Young teacher cdes, you will rise.
I am confident. Believe in your work and the future of Zimbabwe.
*Takura Zhangazha presented here in his own personal capacity
(takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)
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