Most of our leaders’ mind-set is out-moded, their thinking capabilities need to be polished a bit considering the escalating exodus of foreign investment due to the devaluation of the pula, the unscrupulous retrenchment of workers by prominent companies which employ reputable number of Batswana (KBL), the down-sizing of operations in parastatals (BBS) and die lingering and scaring monster (privatisation).
All these economic hazards have prompted the government to employ deceitful schemes with the hope of resuscitating our feeble economy. However, instead of the government sitting at a table and coming up with viable economic plans that will not impoverish the citizenry, they opt to ignore the people’s voice of not reintroducing school fees which they falsely and tactically label that mode as cost-sharing.
Honestly, this is a ploy by the government to raise revenue for the country at the expense of ordinary underpaid Batswana. They could not think of any other means apart from ripping the already torn pockets of bankrupt citizenry.
The government is so heartless and uncaring that even parents getting a meagre allowance of P500will be subjected to school fees payments, thus deliberately ignoring transport costs, uniform, PTA fees, sports fees, excursion fees, books, donations and sundry.
Now the government in collaboration with the Ministry of Education is to introduce the controversial Double-Shift Session (DSS) as of next year January. There will be two sets of students attending school in the morning and afternoon respectively. I do not want to dwell much on the repercussion of the DSS since they are severe. The only positive effect is that the underlying multitude of graduates who roam the streets shall be absorbed into the system and help ease pressure the government is facing from job-seeking graduate teachers.
In essence this is a ploy by the government to have more capital returns, as the DSS would enable the MoEd to enrol more students with the pretext of providing a 12 year basic education. Having more Form 4’s entrants due to DSS effect will automatically have dividends. These tactics run contrary to the country’s vision 2016 in creating an Educated, Innovative and a Prosperous nation. The simple uotic~1 is; you teach the child, you teach the nation. The question now looms; is the government committed to its inclination of fulfilling its enshrined promise on education or it is a stratagem make money out of ordinary folks.
Honestly the money generated by paying of school fees will be infused into other projects outside the teaching fraternity. In all fairness, it has to be re-invested into the Ministry for its betterment such as improving the welfare of teachers who in turn will ensure provision of quality education. We should be mindful of the fact that there is serious lack of resources, shortage of accommodation for teachers and that school buildings are dilapidated. Surely, the money generated through all these schemes can go a long way in addressing these problems. Now it is official, the government of Botswana has commercialised education.
Maru Ping Leporung
Mochudi
