BEC, teachers' unions start negotiations
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Tuesday October 11, 2022 06:00
Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) and Botswana Sector of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) have been embroiled in an unending impasse with the exams body over the rates and other related conditions of service, concerning coursework, invigilation, and marking for the 2022–23 cycle.
The unions had refused to discuss the rates and other related conditions of service, coursework, invigilation, and marking of external examinations outside a formal structure in the form of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The standoff has created unease among stakeholders as there were fears it could affect this year’s examinations.
Teachers had decided to down tools and withhold coursework marks, not to moderate, invigilate and turn up for marking for this year’s external examinations until the matters are resolved.
In some instances, students were forced to write an alternative paper instead of the scheduled practical one after teachers refused to take part in the exam. However, after the Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe recently said he wants to see the end of the standoff; he met with the teachers’ unions where an agreement was reached to settle the issue with BEC.
The meeting with the minister resolved that parties should start the negotiation process on MoA/MoU and the rates for coursework, invigilation, and marking as soon as practical. In an interview with BOSETU secretary-general, Tobokani Rari said on Sunday that negotiations began Saturday and could end today if everything goes according to plan. "We started negotiations on Saturday and we are looking at ending them by Monday," said Rari. Rari added while he could not preempt the outcome, he alluded that the negotiations were held under a calm and promising atmosphere. He said it was disappointing that the issue had to come to this point where teachers had to take things into their own hands and withdraw labour. "It has affected the whole examination process even though I can't quantify the extent of the damage.
Exams are sensitive and a single mistake can contaminate the whole product. When we started the call for a boycott, they had undermined it, but they have now seen that this is serious. We don't take pride in this but we want people to know that if they are serious about the education of the children, they should be serious about the welfare of the teachers," he added.
He said a lot was going to happen that would have affected the assessment of this year's exams. The unionist thanked members for remaining resolute and united in boycotting BEC activities.