Gov’t should convert temporary teachers to permanent positions
Friday, January 23, 2026 | 110 Views |
Hikuama PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
The current government stance is exploitative and undermines decent work principles. Apparently, the government has been hiring temporary teachers for over a year without converting them to permanent positions, which is against the spirit of the Public Service Act. The best way for the ministry to remain in alignment with the Public Service Act will be to convert those served beyond the limit to permanent once, not to abandon the recruitment of a new cohort of temporary teachers. This is a highly exploitative and abusive stance on the part of the government.
The back-and-forth surrounding the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education regarding temporary teachers has indeed demonstrated a confused government and a sign of inconsistent policy-making and "flip-flopping."
The research presented at the recent Botswana Secondary School Teachers Union symposium should serve as a wake-up call to us all.We are so focused on coding, artificial intelligence, and the jobs of tomorrow that we are neglecting the basic safety and emotional well-being of the children sitting in our classrooms today.Statistics are deeply worrying. One study revealed that 34% of secondary school learners in Gaborone meet the criteria for a...