PRIMARY and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora has come under fire from teachers’ unions for reportedly “resorting to military tactics” in dealing with educators.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said Dokora had threatened to fire school heads who were not delivering quality results.

“The idea of threats, attacks, blunders and orders is not synonymous with education. It is found in the military and Dokora wants to bring this into the education sector. We will not accept it. Teachers are working under atrocious conditions with children suffering, especially this winter and we have a minister who is preoccupied with sabre-rattling,” Majongwe told NewsDay.

Recently, Dokora issued a stark warning to non-performers and teachers with little appreciation of the new curriculum. Majongwe’s sentiments were echoed by Zimbabwe Teachers’ Union spokesperson Tapson Nganunu-Sibanda, who urged a sober approach to issues affecting education.

Zimbabwe Rural Teachers’ Union leader Obert Masaraure was more scathing in his response to Dokora.

“Rule by force is the preserve of the inept who have no skills to motivate their subordinates boldly towards goal attainment. Dokora has monumentally failed and is tragically transforming our education system into a circus,” Masaraure said. “The only person who should be fired for incompetence is Dokora because the same teachers he is accusing of failing performed well under successive ministers before him.”