Zimbabwe’s largest rural teachers’ union – Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union in Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has formally notified the government that its members will begin reporting for duty only two days a week and abandon long-standing formal dress requirements, citing low salaries, rising transport costs and what it described as the need to “decolonize” teaching standards.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Public Service Commission dated May 8, the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) said the measures had been adopted as “survival strategies” in response to worsening economic conditions affecting teachers across the country.
The union’s president, Obert Masaraure, said teachers would no longer adhere to what he termed “colonial-era” dress codes that require formal attire in schools. Instead, educators would wear “affordable and comfortable clothing” reflecting their economic realities.
ARTUZ argued that poverty-level salaries had made it impossible for teachers to purchase and maintain formal wardrobes, particularly in rural areas where many educators already struggle with basic living costs. The union also framed the decision as part of a broader push to align the education sector with Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Curriculum and efforts to decolonize public institutions.
“The members of ARTUZ have resolved to move away from the ‘formal’ clothing standards historically mandated by the Commission,” Masaraure wrote, adding that the move was also an expression of constitutional freedoms guaranteed under Section 61 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
The union further announced that teachers would now report for duty only two days per week, saying the remaining days would be dedicated to income-generating activities as educators attempt to supplement incomes eroded by inflation and the rising cost of living.
ARTUZ linked the decision to repeated calls by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for citizens to pursue entrepreneurial activities and “make money,” arguing that teachers could no longer survive solely on their salaries.
The union also cited the country’s transport challenges and high fuel-related costs, saying many teachers now spend more commuting to work than they earn in daily wages.
“It is no longer financially viable, or even physically possible, to report for duty five days a week when the cost of commuting exceeds the daily take-home pay,” the letter said.
ARTUZ insisted the measures should not be interpreted as an act of defiance against authorities but rather as a practical response to economic hardship within the education sector.
“We expect the Public Service Commission to recognize these adjustments as the only way to keep the education sector functional under the current economic constraints,” Masaraure said.
The Public Service Commission of Zimbabwe had not publicly responded to the letter at the time of publication.
