09 Aug 2017

Minister of Basic Education, Dr Unity Dow says there are three vacant positions which are for a physical teacher, senior teacher physical education and senior accounts assistant at Letlhakane Senior Secondary School.

She said the other positions were not vacant in the school establishment, and that over the years officers were transferred from the school.

She noted that the chemistry teacher was transferred in 2016 to Shoshong Senior Secondary School and that the biology teacher was transferred to Mphuthe Unified School in 2014 with the position.

Dr Dow said of the three vacancies, the accounts assistant was transferred to Kgatadimo JSS in June 2016 on promotion, adding that the physics teacher and the senior teacher, physical education posts were created in April and June respectively.

She said the school required the position of physics teacher, accounts teacher, chemistry teacher, biology teacher and senior teacher, Physical Education, and that of these posts that were required by the school, only two had positions available.

She said the school no longer required the position of accounts assistant as they have a bursar.

With regards to unavailability of positions for other subjects, she said it was a general concern among the schools, and that the ministry continued to rationalise and create such positions as and when it was possible.

She said the recruitment of a physics teacher was a challenge, and that efforts had been made internally and externally to no avail.

The minister said they were in the process of recruiting retired physics teachers, and that a public notice had been issued which closed on August 7 calling on all retired physics teachers or equivalent while the post of senior teacher physical education would be filled by August 31, 2017.

Dr Dow said she was aware of the needs of the schools hence the creation of the vacancies in June and July 2017, noting that the process to fill the vacancies had commenced and would be filled by August 31, 2017.

MP for Boteti East, Mr Setlhomo Lelatisitswe had asked the minister if she was aware that there were vacant posts at  Letlhakane senior since officers were transferred.

He also wanted to know when the officers were transferred, to which schools, which department and whether Letlhakane Senior Secondary School still needed the services of the positions.

He also wanted to know why there were delay in replacing the officers, and who should be blamed for the delay. ENDS