21 Jan 2015

Teachers in the Molepolole Administration Area (MAA) have expressed frustration over their working conditions.

This emerged during a public servants meeting addressed by MP for Mmopane/Lentsweletau and also Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Vincent Seretse in his ongoing tour of his constituency.

Teachers cited a number of issues ranging from maladministration to poor living conditions in schools saying, if not seriously addressed, the issues would hamper productivity thus contributing to poor results.

Mr Gaogalalwe Gaokwalwe from Motswakhumo Junior Secondary School complained of poor accommodation for teachers saying they were forced to share houses, something that resulting in disputes. He also said the school boarding facility was overcrowded and dilapidated. He added that the situation was so bad that some students slept on the floor.

Mr Tshenolo Bogautsu from Kopong Junior Secondary School also told the minister that the school was established a long time ago as a nine stream school. He said it had since been upgraded to be a 15 stream school but since it was within a peri-urban area, every year they experience an increased uptake of students.

He stated that this year the number of form one students exceed 50 in a class which was against the set teacher ratio of one teacher 25 pupils. He said the school was now operating with a volume of an 18 stream school. Moreover, he said that lots of classes were taught outside.

He cited one primary school that has eight classes taught outside. He appealed to government to upgrade the school. Mr Motswakhumo further said absenteeism in schools was also a serious problem, noting that government must consider putting statutes in place that would force students to attend school.

Ms Mompoloki Batlhokang from Makgasane primary school said the department of primary education was slow in filling vacant posts adding that there have been vacant posts since 2012.

Ms Batlhokang also complained of general hygiene in primary schools saying only two general duty assistants were hired and were expected to clean all classrooms, administration block and toilets.

On other issues teachers complained about lack of storage of water in primary schools as well as acute shortage of transportation. They said on many occasions they use their personal vehicles for government purposes and yet they could not claim expenses.

Commenting, Minister Seretse acknowledged that there were serious issues bedevilling the education sector. However, he said the ministry was doing the best to address the issues.

Commenting on the issue of vacant posts, he said that if the establishment was approved, there must be funds to fill vacant posts. He said the council should consider procuring mobile cabinets for classrooms instead of expensive structures to protect students from harsh weathers conditions.

On the issue of absenteeism, the minister expressed disappoint on parents who shed their responsibility at the expense of teachers. He said parents and teachers must engage fully understanding that a child’s future was a shared responsibility.

For her part, Chief Education Officer for MAA/Lentsweletau Ms Rosaline Serumola admitted that there were challenges in the region. She said at times the department of education considered teachers requests to work at their home villages or nearby areas to address the accommodation issue

To address poor performance in Kweneng region, she said, the department had introduced the element of competition among teachers based on academic scores. Those who score high marks she said were considered for promotion. ENDS