07 Mar 2019

 It is not a rule that a temporary teacher is employed when an officer goes on maternity leave but rather a relief teacher is employed if requested by the school. Minister of Basic Education, Bagalatia Arone said Letlhakane Senior Secondary School was treated like other schools and provided on request.

He explained that the school only made two requests for relief teachers for staff on maternity leave, adding that their request did not succeed given that they were submitted late. Minister Arone highlighted that there was a policy on relief of teachers on maternity leave and the director central regional operations was aware of such policy and implemented it accordingly.

MP for Boteti East, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe had wanted an update about the status of teachers who had gone on maternity leave at Letlhakane Senior Secondary School during the past four to five years.

He also asked the minister to state whether it was true that the above school was the only school in the Central Region where a relief teacher was not provided when one went on maternity leave. MP Lelatisitswe also wanted to know if the school had requested for a relief teacher and what was the response from the region and ministry, and whether there was a policy regarding relief of teachers on maternity leave.

He said if such a policy existed, he wanted to know why it was not applied at the school and whether the Central Region office has a copy of the policy. Ends