22 Aug 2016

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), Dr Theophilus Mooko says they have pledged to honour four commitments in their ministry. 

Addressing the delegates on the teachers’ welfare and the ministry’s new initiatives at the Botswana Sector of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) annual conference held in Francistown on August 20, he said one of the four commitments is to restore public confidence in public schools. 

He explained that the image of public schools was tarnished due to various reasons hence the ministry saw the need for restoration.

Dr Mooko explained that in the second commitment, they wanted to build a credible public education system so people could have confidence in them and in doing so, the curriculum standard must be credible.

He pointed out that in the third commitment, they needed to work with all stakeholders such as Dikgosi and parents in the delivery of education to improve the quality of live.In the fourth and final commitment, they want to ensure effective communication and implored the educators that they should rally behind them to make a difference, he added. 

He said they should review and engineer the teachers’ education because they worked in new environments, so they should be trained to be able to adapt to the new environments.

BOSETU president, Mr Kwenasebele Modukanele said they spent a lot of time on issues affecting them and forgetting the students hence this year’s theme.

He said the theme would put into focus how unresolved issues of hours of work for teachers disadvantaged them in terms of limited contact between the teacher and the student. 

Mr Modukanele also said the eight hours working duration had affected the students as the students have less time with the teachers. Ends