Brain Drain: A Case of Retention of Teachers at Two Rural Schools in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has experienced high rates of teacher turnover since 2008, and the issue has remained a problem up to this day. This phenomenon has been attributed to the economic crisis that the country experienced during the same period. Most schools lost and some are still losing teachers to either attrition or migration, and very few young people are joining teaching due to low salaries associated with the profession. Few schools (Church-run and privately owned) did not experience mass exodus of qualified teachers because they provided them with retention allowances and packages. As it is proving difficult to lure young people into the teaching profession, government should put more focus on retaining its teachers. This paper looks at two Catholic run schools in Gweru Diocese that managed to retain their teachers using unique, different retention packages. Based on observations, further suggestions are provided for the government of Zimbabwe to retain their teachers.