Gov't, teachers must unite for school sport

The Monitor Editor | Wednesday August 6, 2025 09:06

Instead, it risks becoming an exercise in empty symbolism, undermined by the government’s baffling refusal to properly consult the very people essential for its success: teachers and their unions. President Duma Boko’s initiative is welcome. The suspension of these vital programmes in 2019, initially blamed on budget woes but rooted in a standoff over fair allowances for teacher-coaches, has done untold damage.

Restoring them is the right thing to do. However, the manner of this relaunch is profoundly ill-advised and threatens to derail it before it even begins.

The shock expressed by the Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) and the Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) is entirely justified.

BTU president Agang Gabana’s account is damning: a last-minute invitation, a single virtual meeting four weeks ago with vague feedback, and a crucial written response to their compromise proposal that never materialised.

BOSETU’s Tobokani Rari echoes this, stating teachers are completely in the dark about what is actually being launched. This isn't consultation; it’s an afterthought, bordering on disrespect.

Equally concerning is the sidelining of National Sport Associations (NSAs). Their expertise is vital for structured talent development, yet most remain uninformed and unconsulted, with many likely to be absent from tomorrow's event. Handing responsibility to the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education does not absolve the government of its duty to collaborate with stakeholders.

This rushed, top-down approach is a recipe for failure. Teachers are not mere functionaries; they are the indispensable engine of school sport and arts. Their goodwill, expertise, and voluntary commitment are paramount.

Launching without securing their agreement on practicalities, especially the unresolved issue of fair allowances that caused the initial suspension, is reckless. It breeds resentment and guarantees future friction, potentially jeopardising the entire programme once more.

Government must urgently do the right thing. Pause the launch or, at the very least, use it to publicly commit to immediate and genuine consultation.

Sit down with BOSETU and BTU now. Provide written responses to their proposals. Negotiate in good faith to find common ground over allowances, workload, and implementation structures. Teachers deserve respect and fair terms.

Bring the sporting expertise of the associations properly into the planning and execution framework.

Create a formal, ongoing consultation mechanism involving unions, NSAs, and the ministry to ensure sustainable success.

Sport and Arts Minister Jacob Kelebeng, for the sake of the children and Botswana’s sporting future, step back from the brink of another false start. Talk to the teachers. Find that common ground. Do the job properly. Launching without them isn't a triumph; it’s the prelude to another costly failure.