School heads,union leaders meet

RUSSO LUMA
Correspondent | Thursday September 23, 2010 00:00

 

At a meeting between union leaders and school heads in the North region last Saturday the school heads were informed that unless there was an offer of an attractive fee, Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) should conduct and supervise examinations not teachers or the heads themselves.

The teachers unions comprised of Botswana Secondary Teachers Union and Botswana Teachers Union.

'Nobody in schools is an employee of BEC. Even the permanent secretary knows that; I wrote her a letter on this.

So, no school head should force a teacher to invigilate. Those who do so will be thrown into a cell for two days for they would be going against a court ruling,' BOSETU president Shandukani Hlabano said.

The meeting is part of efforts by union leaders to sensitise their members on their rights following disagreements on invigilation with the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM).

Hlabano advised the school heads to concentrate their energies on keeping regional directors informed about what is happening in their schools. 'You are referred to as managers, but do you have any managerial powers? A manager can hire and fire. You refer almost everything to the highest offices. Right now, you have shortage of manpower in your schools, but you can't hire.'

School heads expressed appreciation for the meeting and encouraged the union leaders to keep them updated with what is going on. 'I'm really happy with what the union leaders and teachers are doing. I can't openly say it to my supervisees, but inwardly, I'm so happy with what is going on,' said one of them.

Questions about working hours were asked. 'You have to follow what is in the Public Service Act. Start at 7.30am and stop at 4.30pm until the employer sorts out the issue of working hours for teachers. Do not go beyond 4.30pm. By so doing, you would not be breaking any law. We can't advise you to do things that are not within the confines of the law,' Hlabano told the meeting.