THE EFFECT OF SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS; A CASE STUDY OF THREE SELECTED SCHOOLS IN CHIRUNDU DISTRICT

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to find out the effects of shortage of teachers on students’ academic performance in Secondary Schools in Chirundu District. Therefore, the problem of the study was the shortage of teacher’s on the academic performance of learners. The objectives of the study comprised the following; To analyze the effects of shortage of teachers on pupils academic performance, to examine the effects of shortage of teachers on student discipline in Secondary schools, to examine how the shortage of teachers affects the schools community relationship and to assess the effectiveness of the strategies used by the school Management to minimize the effects of teachers shortage in Secondary schools. The research design used in this study was cross –sectional survey aimed at collecting data from large number of samples of various categories at a particular time so as to describe the nature of the problem. The methods of date collection used were questionnaires, interview and documentary review. The major findings revealed in this research were as follows: the shortage of teachers seemed to be a major factor hindering the academic performance of learners as some subjects were taught effectively while other not taught at all, the shortage resulted into student indiscipline behavior where most of the time spent without teachers in classes is misused by student involving themselves in immoral behaviours such as love affairs. The researcher found that, the school administration used various strategies to alleviate the shortage of teachers such as the use of form six-leavers, part time teachers and remedial classes to reduce the problem. The study recommends on how to alleviate the shortage of teachers so as to implement the curriculum as required by the government through Ministry of Education to make changes in teachers training so as to produce enough and competent teachers, the government to attract teachers through giving them hardship allowance particularly those in peripheral areas and retain teachers in the teaching professional as well as teachers in the peripheral regions.