The Year That Was In Education Sector

Correspondent | Monday December 19, 2016 14:39

 

Rari

Union Position on Policy

and Legislative Issues  Class Size

The  1994 Revised National Policy on Education (RNPE) recommended for reduction in class size to at least 30 students at senior school and to at least 35 in a Junior Schools. Our view is that government has failed dismally in this regard. We  still have classes simmering at between 45 and 50 students, this in spite of the recommendation made over 20 years ago.

Research has indicated that the less the students are in a classroom for teaching, the more the teacher could individually interact with each one of them and vice versa. This in our view is one of the factors that contribute towards poor learning in schools hence the ever-dwindling results.

There are qualified teacher graduates who are currently unemployed and as such there is no reason why they could not be absorbed to deal with the issue of class sizes. We therefore end this by still reiterating that government need to take decisive step and come with a policy on class size in this country.

 

Automatic Promotion

Throughout this year, the issue of automatic promotion of student from one grade to another irrespective of whether they have failed or not has been central in our discourse on issues of  policy. Our considered opinion is that in desperate attempts to attain universal access in line with the Education For All (EFA) goals, government has compromised quality in many respects.

This policy has contributed significantly to the degrading standards of education in this country  resulting in the ever-dwindling final examination year results across all levels.

 

The Dual Path Ways Approach

 We have made our position known and we have been consistent throughout the year that, the education system of this country should promote a two – tier system where the theoretical academic orientation education is not the main emphases as  it is the case now. We advocate for a system where the same emphasis and opportunities are given to students to pursue either the vocational educational or the academic theoretical education. This two – tier system of education would provide for dual pathways in which, during the early years, talents and potentials are identified and students are channeled to the relevant persuasions and orientation. The current situation is such that the vocational education is relegated and is regarded as an education for failures, and such institutions such as brigades and vocational training centers  have been stigmatized.

 

Collapse of In – Service Training Policy

It is common cause that the teaching methodologies and strategies keep on evolving with time, and any teaching and learning system that ought to take itself serious need to keep pace with such changes by always up – skilling, upgrading and re – tooling its work force in the form of teachers. This process is fundamental, and in the past it has been addressed through the in – service system where serving teachers would continuously be upgraded through in - service workshops and training. Today this policy has collapsed completely.

 

Tertiary Education Policy &

Commercialization of Education

Throughout this year, we have brought into public discourse the commercialization of education that has resulted in a basic need and necessity, education being sold to the highest bidder.

Private educational institutions remain unregulated and prices of education in such institutions are left to the market forces. Tuition fees in private education institutions are sky – rocketing and frequently change as and when the owners of such institutions wish; owing to absence of any regulatory policy. What is even more worrisome is that the private tertiary institutions mushroom on a daily basis and they offer irrelevant courses in terms of the markets demand. This is an unacceptable situation that cannot be left to go as it is. Some public tertiary institutions are currently being pushed out of the government infrastructure that they are currently occupying in favor of the tertiary private institutions.

 

1.5. Closure of Colleges

We have noted several times this year that government is moving in earnest to close down all Colleges of Education. At first, this was done under the pretext that there is a rationalization process that was taking place, and that this was in response to it. The union has on various forums pointed out that such a major shift in policy, that would affect the employees, cannot be thought of, and ultimately implemented without engaging the trade unions of the affected members. It is common knowledge that some of the educators at this closed down institutions are idling without being fully engaged.

At Francistown College Education, the closure has resulted in 12  educators idling for almost a year and a half without any work. Trade Unions have requested to be availed with report that has resulted into recommendations for rationalization and the blue print following the report that outlines the specifics

 

Leave for teachers

This phenomenon still remains an unresolved legislative matter that has caused confusion and distress throughout the year. In our view, this matter needs to be given priority by the new Ministry of Basic Education.  During school holidays the  employer still insists on teachers to be redundantly idling at the work place and to only leave the work place when they have taken some leave days off their official leave days.

Our view is that we need as trade unions and the Ministry of Basic Education to candidly open dialogue on this matter for an amicably and workable solution.

 

Regulation of Overtime

As we have said consistently throughout this year, issues of overtime for teachers remain controversial and in our view one of those factors that come out tops in triggering disharmony and administrative conflicts between managements and the junior staff. There is no doubt that overtime as regulated by the Employment Act cannot effectively cover teachers in terms of compensation for the extra time that they work due to the peculiarity and nature of their duty. This is  the reason why BOSETU has agitated for the adoption of a Processional / Overtime Allowance for teachers or a 26 day model to take care of these odd hours worked by teachers. BOSETU feels this is one of the thorny  issues that have impacted negatively in the running of schools, quality of education and has contributed in the ever-declining results.

 

Promotional Procedures

We have indicated our worry that the employer keeps on oscillating between promoting teachers through interviews and promotion through recommendations. It is common knowledge that it is within the ambit of Trade Unions to negotiate both procedural and substantive issues. This has brought confusion as to which procedure for promotion is used for teachers. We have during the course of the year experienced situations of taking too long to fill vacant posts after interviews to traces of dubious promotions that smell corruption. BOSETU would like to move the Ministry Management to have a negotiated Promotional Policy with the unions as a matter of priority in this coming year.

 

The Transfer Policy

BOSETU have noted that the  transfer policy  needs a thorough review as it is very  old and has not been negotiated with trade unions. Our grave worry has been that though such policy is in operation, it has been disregarded with impunity. Educators especially in far - flung areas have remained fixated in those not-so conducive environments. The transfer boards have collapsed, especially inter – regional transfer boards, and have remained totally defunct leaving teachers stranded in same working environments for too long.

 

Amendment of

the BEC Act

The year 2016 saw an attempt by government to amend the BEC Act with the intention to reverse the implications of the judgment of Justice Phumaphi of 2009(by BOSETU). Justice Phumaphi back then held that the duty to invigilate the external examinations and supervising course work is the duty of BEC and  not of teachers. The proposed amendments of the BEC Act that were taken to winter session of parliament, sort to make invigilation and supervision of external examinations the duty for teachers. BOSETU vigorously lobbied members of parliament from both the opposition and the ruling party, and ultimately became successful in having the bill withdrawn pending consultation with the unions.. 

 

Trade Dispute Act

It is now common cause that the amended Trade Dispute Act that has made teachers and many other public servants essential service is now law and it came into operation on 1st November 2016. BOSETU and other BOFEPUSU trade unions did their best to lobby members of parliament and the civic society to make them aware that that bill, which is now law, should not be passed as it has been, as some of the cadres included as essential service including teachers do not qualify to be categorized as such, at least in accordance with the ILO frame definition of essential service but to no avail. The federation has already written its report to the ILO on this regard. Also the federation has taken the matter to court on the basis that the federation has not been consulted. This case would be heard in February next year.

 

Creation of new Ministries

& Re - designation of some portfolios

We  opine that re – designations of ministry portfolios have not been well thought out.  In our view, it defies logic how the aspect of Skills Development could be detached from the ministry responsible for tertiary education and that of basic education. It is common knowledge that “Skills” are developed at the tertiary level of education and of recent we have been advocating for skills being identified and natured at the early stages of education, at basic education. We see this re –alignment as having thrown the spanner in the works into the ESTSSP programme. We view this as a fatal mismatch of portfolio responsibilities.

We take a very serious exception to a clear indication of total disregard of the aspect of  “Labor Relations” when re – designating ministry portfolios. Our view is that the aspect or portfolio of “Labor Relations” should have been reflected and stood out in the “Ministry of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development”. It is quite evident that the labour relations in this country including the relationship between government and trade unions is at its lowest ebb hence our view is that government should have  taken this opportunity to specifically assign a Minister with a clear role and mandate embedded in his/her Ministry to deal with the issue of managing such relations. In our view, re – shuffle has failed the country in this regard.

On Cabinet Re – shuffle, our view is that it  was just a re-arranging of old furniture. With respect to the Ministry of Basic Education, our take is that Dr Unity Dow was beginning to show signs of patience to at least sit and listen to teachers’ issues. 

We therefore feel that having her at Basic Education Ministry would give her an opportunity to put into practice what she has been theorizing about since she took over at the Ministry of Education & Skills Development.

BOSETUalso welcome the appointment of Dr. Madigele as the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology.  While as an Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Health, he proved himself and we hope he brings the same attitude to the new portfolio. We hope  particularly that he will move speedily to address the mess at the Colleges of Education and the issue of the structure at the brigades and the  polluted atmosphere of the country’s labour relations.

 

Eric Molale, Enemy

of Public Service

We are disappointed with Hon Eric Molale remaining the Minister for the public service. Minister Molale is the sole reason why the public servants’ relations with government remain sour, and the morale of the public service and productivity remaining at their lowest. Minister Molale has shunned dialogue with trade unions representing the public service and has proposed draconian amendments to the Public Service Act clamping down on worker rights.

 

Educators Welfare issues

 We have during the course of this year, seen untold abuse of short-term contracts for teachers in government and private schools alike. The practice is such that some teachers have been teaching for close to two decades, on at least two or one  year contracts that have been habitually renewed for decades on the same or similar terms. We  also have had during the course of this year, situations where vacant posts are not permanently filled but rather the Ministry keeps on manning with short contract teachers. We have seen contracts of this short term contract teachers coming to an end and they would go for months without receiving their terminal benefits. This is tantamount to the casualization of labour. This subjects employees to loss of pension benefits.

 

Administrative

 crisis in schools

It is also common cause that those teachers who get promoted to become administrators, that is, School Heads, their Deputies and Heads of Departments are not really competent on issues of institutional and human resource management. It is a known fact that those are teachers trained in teaching and as such would obviously have deficiencies in administrative functions.  Also, we have argued  that schools should have professional Human Resource Managers who would professionally deal with issues of human resource in schools.

 

Collective agreement

on Examination on

External issues

This year saw yet another difficult encounter with the then Ministry of Education and Skills Development in trying to conclude negotiations for remuneration for the extra work that the teachers do on behalf of BEC. These negotiations followed the Court Case that BOSETU had with the Ministry of Education back then in 2009. The negotiations started in 2010 to date. The typical characteristic of these negotiations has been that the Ministry always came to the table very late following a lot of persuasion by the trade unions. This year’s negotiations however, were worse off, in that, sometimes in June, government wanted to amend the BEC Act to force teachers to do Course Work and Invigilation of external examinations hence avoiding remunerating teachers for those. In view of that, the Ministry was not willing to come to the  table resulting in late conclusion of the talks. We are also starting to see different interpretations of the agreement by those who are supposed to implement. As we end the year, we endeavor to have the new Ministry to deal with these unnecessary acrimonies in the New Year.

 

Compiled by Tobokani  Rari, General secretary, BOSETU