05 Aug 2019

Minister of Basic Education, Mr Bagalatia Arone says lack of posts in his ministry has hampered their efforts to absorb unemployed teachers.

Mr Arone said they hoped that the issue would be considered during the mid-term review of NDP 11 if funds were available. He said they were only able to absorb unemployed teachers when vacancies were available within the staff establishment.

He noted that unemployed teachers were engaged on temporary basis when officers went on leave for various reasons such as maternity.

Mr Arone revealed that temporary teachers were offered medium-term contracts when permanent teachers were on study leave or had taken sabbatical leave.

He further said the ministry had considered implementing team teaching in schools, but  explained that it had not been possible owing to constraints associated with the creation of additional posts.

Mr Arone added that the ministry intended to assess workloads of teachers, and where necessary, make a redistribution of staff where they were most needed and address the challenge of large class sizes.

He said if found practicable, it would be introduced in selected schools in January 2020 where additional posts were not required. 

Francistown East MP, Mr Buti Billy had asked the minister to state if there was a strategy in place to absorb primary and secondary school unemployed teachers on short, medium and long-term bass.

He also wanted to know when group teaching would be implemented. ENDS