BOSETU condemns teacher-student love affairs

Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday August 25, 2015 16:19

Addressing the BOSETU annual conference in Palapye over the weekend, Modukanele said it is an eyesore to have educators who engage in student-teacher relations. 

He said that such behaviour taints the image of the union.

“Teacher-student relationships are growing alarmingly as per our industrial relations unit records.  This gives a bad name to the union if we are seen to be defending such behaviour. ‘Iketleleng go ja stock comrades, tlogelang makgela a butswe’,” Modukanele said.

He further said another problem is the position of the marginalised groups in the workplace, which is threatened due to intolerance.  He added that at times their conditions are a result of the efforts of the employer to get rid of them.

“We still need to teach our people the concept of tolerance and inclusiveness in the area of the marginalised, especially groups like lesbians and gays who we do have amongst us in the profession and among our clients. “We currently do this only by allowing marginalised groups including the disabled to live among us and take part in some of our activities.  “This may not be enough as their position in the workplace seems to be quietly but efficiently threatened as we seem to be losing, especially the disabled, to a slowly increasing concerted effort by the employer to remove them from the workplace,” he said.

Furthermore, Modukanele encouraged members of the union to always feel free to express and suggest their thoughts and ideas of whats best for the union.

“There are ideas about how best we can serve this union out there amongst the membership than what we have within the inner circle.

“This leadership is just an embodiment of the numerous thoughts and visions we have about being part of this great union. We still have issues to settle as already mentioned with some of our previous resolutions and investments,” Modukanele said as he encouraged the unionists.