Deal brokered to avert exam crisis

Baboki Kayawe | Wednesday September 9, 2015 16:17

 

The deal, concluded on Monday, averts a national exams crisis such as happened in 2010 when teachers boycotted final exams, resulting in the delay of results and the subsequent troubles for students progressing to different grades.

Under the deal, teachers secured a six percent increase in invigilation and coursework rates, with the former moving from P58.90 to P62.45 per hour and the latter rising to P39.50 per candidate, from P37.50.

A concluding statement signed by Nnosang Mhutsiwa representing the education ministry, Innocent Mannathoko of Botswana Sectors of Educators’ Trade Union (BOSETU) and Tidimalo Maeletso of the Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), also announces payment of preparation fees for Junior Certificate English paper four and French One.

The addition also covers French papers One and Three.

Preparation fees for practical subjects also increased from P1,040 to P1,102.40, which extends to all teachers of English administering the Listening Comprehension exam (paper four), as well as all teachers of French engaged in preparatory exam work.

The fees are also payable to Senior Teacher 1 (practical subjects) who are also subject specialists and are involved in the actual preparation of examinations.  “Standardisation rate increases from P463 to P496.10, and the rate is payable for every paper standardised,” read the statement.

Administration fees have also increased with the primary school head of centre or chief invigilator having transited from last year’s P1,924 to P2,039.45, those at junior secondary schools moving from P3,848 to P4,078.90 and those at senior secondary pocketing P6,063.20 compared to last year’s P5,720.

Senior invigilator’s rates have risen from P2,886 to P3,059.20 for junior secondary while at senior secondary level the rates increased from P4,290 to P4,547.40. 

Moreover, for practical subjects payment, at senior secondary school level Senior Teacher 1 will be paid at 75 percent of chief invigilator’s rate.

At junior school where Senior Teacher 1’s are not subject specialists, the payment would be made to the subject coordinator at the rate of 75 percent of the chief invigilator’s rate, explained the joint statement. 

This agreement comes after the teachers’ unions urged their members not to submit coursework marks in the absence of any agreement on the table.