Rakhudu asks public to apologise for government

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Friday March 16, 2012 00:00

Members of the public have been asked to apologise to teachers on behalf of the government over its handling of the public service strike last year. The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), Keletso Rakhudu, made this call in Lentsweletau at an event meant to take the ministry to the people yesterday. Rakhudu said while government did not bear a grudge against teachers, there were concerns that teachers were still angry and asked members of the public to ask teachers for forgiveness on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

'We don't have anything against teachers, but we can see that they are still angry,' Rakhudu said.  Even so, Rakhudu accused teachers' unions of sowing seeds of mistrust between the government and their members, saying while the ministry was trying to find a permanent solution to the conflict, the unions were encouraging their members not to cooperate. Parents were not spared as the minister said they were not interested in their children's education. 

'They are not involved in their children's learning and don't attend PTA meetings.' Rakhudu said he could not understand why the performance of students was deteriorating because schools were now better equipped than before.  He was responding to Kgosi Morulaganyi Masasane's call for solutions to issues in the teaching profession. Kgosi Masasane had warned that there would be more trouble if the ministry delayed.

'The standard of education will continue to deteriorate if issues in the teaching service are not resolved,' he said, and blamed the poor performance of schools in Kweneng on last year's strike.The purpose of the event was to display the different departments of the MoESD to stakeholders and showcase its services. The minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, was to officiate at the event but she instead attended a Kgotla meeting addressed by President Ian Khama in Mogoditshane.