BOSETU calls for investment in quality education
Baboki Kayawe | Wednesday February 1, 2017 18:04
BOSETU made the call on the backdrop of perpetuating resource inadequacy in schools, and that the status quo is such that disinvestment in education is at the fore, hence impossible for quality to be attained.
These sentiments were expressed at a media briefing in Gaborone yesterday where BOSETU announced intentions to amplify priority policy issues bedeviling the education system.
BOSETU secretary general, Tobokani Rari said they do not doubt the competency of today’s teachers. However, “the fact that teachers are thrown in classrooms” without the requisite in-service training rendered delivery difficult.
“The dynamics of education are such that content and methodologies keep on changing, 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,” he said.
Rari described the process as fundamental and one which has continuously been upgraded through in-service workshops and training.
Moreover, the latest student-teacher ration is at 1:25, which the union is determined to see in place.
“This is a matter of public policy and BOSETU calls on Government, led of course by the Ministry of Basic Education, to show political will and take decisive steps to pass a policy that will place the student-teacher ration at 1:25,” Rari explained.
He added that if the class size issue emanated from lack of infrastructure and teachers, Government has an obligation to build more classrooms and hire and pay teachers.
Another priority issue is that of automatic progression, which the Union calls “a crucial factor that affects negatively the quality of education and our ultimate product as teachers,” he added.
While the Union admits that these are long standing issues, they have tirelessly taken them up with structures such as the sectoral bargaining committee, the Directorate of Public Service Management and some of these, Rari said are beyond those forums.
“Most of these are policy issues that need to be dealt with at Cabinet level. We rely on the relevant minister to relay our views and there hasn’t been any progress in efforts to meet Cabinet,” he said.
However, he vowed, that will not impede them from advocating and lobbying for these issues. The Union president, Kwenasebele Modukanele said they expected the Minister of Education to table the Botswana Teaching Council Bill this year.
“The Union is in support of the establishment of the self-regulatory body, the Botswana Teaching Council. However, our take is that the draft as it was, gave the Minister too much powers and as well seems to put too many non-teachers to regulate teachers,” he said.