BOSETU takes on Education PS
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Friday May 29, 2020 18:47
John irked the teachers’ union when she said the teacher-student ratio in public schools is low, that there are a lot of teachers who are not teaching in schools, making reference to School Heads, their Deputies and Heads of Departments.
The PS also said no student would be guaranteed placement post COVID-19 if he/she does not return to school after re-opening.
BOSETU has since responded to John’s remarks saying they reflect that the PS is detached from the realities of the education sector.
Secretary General, Tobokani Rari said the union is worried, concerned and disturbed by the PS’ potentially misleading statements.
Rari stated that student-teacher ratio is embarrassingly very high in most of the schools in the country with instances where classes have more than 60 students.
“We wish to put it on record that this is an issue that cannot be generalised in the manner in which the PS did, without it causing the confusion that it already has.
The average ratio of the teacher to student at Primary Schools is 1:30, and secondary schools range from 1:40 to as much as 1:60 in some schools as already stated above,” said Rari.
Rari also said while the 1994 Revised National Policy on Education (RNPE) back then recommended that at secondary schools, the student-teacher ratio should be 1: 30 at all levels in the long, 26-years down the lane, class sizes are double what was recommended.
He said the reason why School Heads, Deputies and the HoDs are not currently performing teaching duties is a matter of policy and is embedded in their Job Effectiveness Description.
“Therefore, for the PS to somersault on such a progressive decision and assert that, this category of employees can also take up classroom teaching duties without stating whether the premise on which they were relieved of such duties has changed or not, is regrettable,” he added.
The union has called on the PS to exercise restraint, caution and sensitivity in communicating to parents and the public, the COVID–19 education related matters during this critically sensitive time, as there is already a lot of circulating uncertainties and anxieties. Public schools (both primary and secondary) are set to re-open on June 2, 2020 following a two months’ closure due to the coronavirus lockdown.