Ministry backtracks on threats

Oarabile Mosikare | Tuesday May 20, 2014 13:26

 

The climb down came after intervention from Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) and Botswana Teachers Union (BTU). Union representatives met with ministry officials on Friday and then a joint statement signed by the two sides was released announcing the back down.

“In a meeting held on May 16, 2014, the parties hereto agree, in respect of the 2014 course.

“That all letters written to the teachers regarding none submission of 2014 course work marks be withdrawn with immediate effect,” the joint statement said.

The statement was signed by Nnosang Mhutsiwa for the ministry, Tobokani Rari for BOSETU and Ibo Kenosi for BTU.

Recently, the ministry through secondary school heads wrote to teachers who declined to release the marks and threatened disciplinary action. One teacher at Lerala Junior Secondary School, in the Tswapong area, received a letter from the school head saying that: “On May 9, 2014 I requested you through writing to submit Agriculture course work marks for 2014. You refused to submit the marks as per the request.

This contravenes Section 27 (3) of 2008; “wilful disobedience of lawful or reasonable orders given by the employee (sic). You are requested to show cause within 14 days of receipt of this letter why disciplinary action cannot be taken against you for disobeying reasonable orders”.

It later transpired that some teachers were not paid for services rendered with respect to course work assessment and invigilation for 2012 and 2013. BOSETU and BTU were forced to write to the ministry Permanent Secretary, Richard Matlhare, regarding the matter.

“We, the teachers unions (BTU and BOSETU) who are party to the agreement on behalf of the teachers would like to express our disappointment over the non-payment of teachers by the ministry. This conduct by yourselves seems to have become perennial as teachers face the same predicament every year after rendering such service,” reads the letter from the unions.

The unions reminded Matlhare that the non-payment of teachers for the services rendered amounts to violation of the agreements entered into between the two parties and also by extension, a violation of the 2009 High Court judgment on invigilation and external assessment. The unions gave the ministry up to the end of June 2014 for all the teachers with outstanding dues to be remunerated.