‘Teachers with certificate qualifications should apply’

GOVERNMENT has extended the ongoing teacher recruitment exercise to certificate holders and has extended the deadline to give them ample time to apply.
Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education Michael Kaingu said the advert which the ministry placed in the public media seems to have left out certificate holders as eligible candidates in the teacher recruitment exercise.
Dr Kaingu said at a press briefing in Kitwe yesterday that certificate holders are encouraged to respond to the invitation and express their interest.

“My ministry advertised for the recruitment of teachers on July 27 as part of our continuing efforts aimed at improving access to the quality of education at all levels,” he said.
He said the ministry has since extended the deadline for applicants from the original date of August 14 to August 21, this year.

Dr Kaingu said the ministry issued instructions to both public and private teacher training colleges to scale down and eventually stop the training of teachers at certificate level.
“However, two public colleges of education, being Solwezi and Mongu, graduated their last certificate holders in 2014. In addition, two private colleges at Monze and Lyambai will graduate their last certificate holders next year,” he said.

He said the recruitment of certificate holders will only stop in 2016.
Dr Kaingu said the recruitment exercise will be ongoing and the prospective teachers who will be left out should not relent.
He also said the age limit of 40 will also be revised to allow those above 40 but below the retirement age to be eligible to apply.
The ministry has started the recruitment of 5,000 teachers.