National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has opposed suggestions by some individuals that teachers that were in service before 2014 should retire at 60 years.
Organization Executive Director Aaron Chansa told Money FM News that this comes after extensive consultations with various stakeholders and teachers across the country.
Mr Chansa says his organization supports the Court of Appeal judgment of 2018 which ruled that only people who got employed after 2014 will be retiring at 60 years, while anyone that was in employment before the introduction of Statutory Instrument No.63 of 2014 shall retire at 55 years.
“After extensive consultations with various stakeholders and teachers across the country, National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) is strongly opposed to suggestions by very few selfish individuals that teachers who were in service before 2014 should retire at 60 years,” Mr Chansa said.
He says the organization is in total support with the position of the court due to the fact that the law is not applied retrospectively.
“We firmly support the Court of Appeal judgement of 2018; which ruling declared that only people who got employed after 2014 will be retiring at 60 years as the Court stressed that anyone who was in employment before the introduction of Statutory Instrument No.63 of 2014 shall retire at 55 years,” He explained.
He said the organization totally agree with this position of the court due to a well-known fact that law is not applied retrospectively and we believe that retiring at 55 will allow teachers to retire with energy in order for them to venture into other equally important endeavours.
“National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) joins almost all Zambian teacher opposed to retiring at 60 years because of its dangerous effects on the morale of educators and on education, generally. Above 55 years, an average teacher is physically and psychologically tried to teach and would require resting,” Mr Chansa said.
He has, therefore, encouraged the Teaching Service Commission to give all teachers above 55 years six months’ notice of retirement and retire them in order for them to access both retirement and pension benefits.
“However, as the law provides, those who will be retired now, we insist, will have to remain on government payroll until such a time they will receive their dues,” He stressed.