Funds Unlocked: Zimbabwe To Recruit 3 000 Teachers In March, Ex-Staff Encouraged To Apply

Zimbabwe To Recruit 3 000 Teachers In March, Former Educators Encouraged To Apply

Harare – A massive government recruitment drive kicks off tomorrow to fill 3 000 teaching posts across the nation, with a special plea for former educators who abandoned the classroom to return to the chalkboard. The Public Service Commission (PSC) has confirmed that the Treasury has unlocked the coffers, paving the way for the mass hiring spree that will sweep through all ten provinces starting Monday, 2 March 2026.

Treasury Opens Taps For Massive Hiring Spree

The Government is moving with speed to plug critical staffing gaps in public schools after provinces rushed to submit their manpower needs by the deadline. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo broke the news during a tense Senate question-and-answer session on Thursday, confirming that the waiting game is finally over.

“We wrote to all the provinces asking them for the numbers of teachers they need from all the 10 provinces. They responded before February 10, meaning that on Monday, March 2, 2026, we will start recruiting,”

Minister Moyo told the august house. He further assured senators that the funds are already in place, stating,

“Treasury had availed the necessary funds to facilitate the recruitment process countrywide.”

This injection of cash is expected to breathe life into schools that have been operating with skeleton staff, particularly in rural areas.

STEM Experts And Returnees Top Priority List

The Sunday Mail reports that in a significant shift, the Ministry is rolling out the welcome mat for teachers who previously fled the profession, possibly due to poor working conditions or the hunt for greener pastures abroad. However, not everyone will walk straight back into a classroom. Minister Moyo revealed that the Government is being strategic, focusing heavily on critical subjects.

“Right now, we are taking those who are returning, but we have been prioritising the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects,”

He explained. The process for returnees has been simplified.

“Once they write their letters and are recommended to come back, we offer them employment again.”

The net is also being cast wide to catch qualified but unemployed graduates twiddling their thumbs at home. Minister Moyo acknowledged the untapped pool of talent, stating,

“Some people finished their courses and they are at home. The Government has allowed us to start recruiting.”

This move is expected to absorb thousands of jobless teachers who completed their training during previous hiring freezes.

Heritage Curriculum Storm Hits Private Schools

As the Government hires thousands of new teachers, it is simultaneously tightening the screws on private schools to fall in line with the national curriculum. Minister Moyo confirmed that a new Bill has been presented to Cabinet, demanding that elite institutions like those in the Association of Trust Schools (ATS) stop sidelining local history and languages.

Citing Section 63 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Minister Moyo argued that all learning must be anchored in the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC).

This means schools offering Cambridge or International Baccalaureate (IB) will have to teach the local curriculum as the main course, with foreign syllabuses relegated to optional extras.