05 Jun 2022

 A total of 95 teachers on Friday received recognition for excellent performance and contribution to the education system.

 As part of National Teachers Day celebrations held in Maun, then Acting President Slumber Tsogwane conferred long and distinguished service awards on 10 teachers who have given over 30 years of quality service.

In other categories, 20 teachers received meritorious service awards for exhibiting excellence in service delivery throughout their careers while 18, who have served 25 years or more having given excellent service were awarded the silver jubilee.

Another category saw 47 mid-career teachers and lecturers receiving medals for continuing to give their best in the classroom.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr Tsogwane commended teachers for their resilience and resolve during the past two years of rampant COVID-19 infection.

He said during the 2021 academic year, the country experienced the most brutal waves of COVID-19 which led to disruptions in the school calendar.

Nonetheless, Mr Tsogwane said because of the resilience of educators, children managed to continue with their education.

He thanked all teachers and support staff for their efforts and personal sacrifices which he said saved the 2021 academic year.

‘’If it was not for your resolve and collective efforts of all stakeholders under the guidance of the former Ministry of Basic Education as well as the support of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, schools would have been closed for very long periods and possibly the whole year,” he said.

Teachers, he said, continued to leave a permanent footprint and distinguishing themselves as pacesetters throughout  Botswana’s development journey.

Mr Tsogwane stated that this year’s theme, A Resilient Teacher, Amidst COVID-19, challenged the strength and mindset of teachers to deliver quality education under today’s very difficult circumstances.

He said schools were among the primary targets for Wi-Fi connectivity under  the SmartBots project.

Mr Tsogwane explained that Wi-Fi in schools was expected to expand teachers, instructors and learners’ access to online resources as well as to build more teaching and learning resilience and adaptabilityin the face of disasters.

He said ICT and the digitisation of education would help drive Botswana towards becoming a knowledge-based economy.

Noting that many parents took the role of teachers during the pandemic, Mr Tsogwane called on parents to ensure a conducive environment existed at home in order to help learners excel at school.

 Minister of Education and Skills Development Dr Douglas Letsholathebe applauded teachers and support staff for the role they played at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic by managing the situation in schools and ensuring completion of two academic years.He said the effects of COVID-19 should be enablers for achievement and adaptation through embracement of digitazation.

Dr Letsholathebe stated that the teaching service’s role was to ensure achievement of Sustainable Development Goal on inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Botswana Sector of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) president Mr Tobokani Rari said one of the positives that resulted from the bad COVID-19, experiences was reduction of class sizes from 40-50 learners to around 30.

He said schools should be digitalised and fitted with modern technological equipment such as interactive boards.

Mr Rari said there was need for an urgent relook into pre-primary education setup and arrangement.

According to the BOSETU president, progression of mainstream pre-primary education teachers was blurred thereby disadvantaging them.

He appealed to government to address the issue of placing on the same scale primary school senior teachers with responsibilities together with  those who did not.

Unionists also requested strengthening of school guidance and counselling departments to address increasing cases of indiscipline.ENDS