09 Mar 2020

 The Ministry of Basic Education has decided to temporarily  halt extra curricula  activities in schools for a year due to a P32 million overtime debt. 

Minister Fidelis Molao told a Ghanzi Senior Secondary School meeting on March 6 that the ministry was allocated P2 million a year for core-curriculum/extra curricula activities but  spent over P60 million annually.

The P60 million needed to run sporting acitivities, he said, was collected from other allocations such as  for textbooks and food.

“We are scavenging all over the place to pay overtime,” he said.

He said the ministry still owed P32 million from last year’s sporting activities.

Mr Molao told  teaching and non-teaching staff that challenges emanating from overtime debt accumulated from sporting activities had forced the ministry to do things differently.  

“As painful as it is, we have to come to this decision to suspend sporting activities in schools for the whole of this financial year,” he said.

He said suspending sporting activities was not an easy decision but emphasised the necessity to manage the debt.

Meanwhile, he said Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development had been approached to have input in running sporting activities in schools. 

“Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development should take part in the development of talent in schools, rather than just benefiting at the end,” he said. 

He said the intention was to deal with the debt first hoping it would be cleared by July.

“We have to deal with this debt first and will start again with Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development on board,” he said.

On other issues, Mr Molao stated that Botswana Teaching Professional’s Council would be fully operational by 2021. 

Regarding Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan implementation, he said its parkways were being piloted at Maun Senior Secondary School.

“We hope it will improve results,” he said.

Minister Molao said he had tasked ministry executives to revive in-service training.

“We should look for other ways to capacitate you because we would not be able to   send large numbers to schools, particularly when the  budget is not permitting,” he said.

Earlier, non-teaching representative, Ms Alice Moutswi and teaching representative, Mr Johannes Kahuku had decried lack of training.

Responding to concerns about shortage of office space, Mr Molao said  porta-cabins and prefab structures would be delivered in the second term.

He also said owing to lack of funds, government was  unable to satisfy maintenance plans.

On the issue of some Botswana Housing Corporation houses in Ghanzi being inhabitable due to persistent sewage problems, Mr Molao said the ministry would meet with the relevant ministries to resolve the issue.ENDS