07 Dec 2022

So far 1 888 teacher graduates have been absorbed following an audit of teaching staff in all schools with a view to ensure optimum efficiency of staffing in response to variations in school enrollments.

Answering a question in Parliament, the assistant minister of Education and Skills Development Mr Aubrey Lesaso explained that the ongoing process has allowed for the migration of permanent posts to schools which have shrunk to eliminate the need for temporary teachers.

“Nationwide, we have managed to create 2 398 posts to absorb temporary teachers,” he said.

He said 148 temporary teachers have been employed in the Okavango constituency, with 85 temporary teachers in primary schools and 63 in junior secondary schools.

Mr Lesaso said there were eight temporary and eight permanent teachers in Xhaoga, while Shaikarawe had four temporary teachers and five permanent ones. Mokgacha has eight temporary and nine permanent teachers and Eretsha primary has nine temporary and nine permanent teachers.

“The ministry only engages qualified teachers irrespective of whether they are on permanent or temporary terms. Temporary teachers have been employed to close gaps in staffing when teachers are on maternity and sick leave and in other cases where permanent posts have not been established,” he said.

The assistant minister also explained that temporary teachers have also been engaged in Satellite schools at startup too facilitate lower primary school learners' access to education without walking long distances to main schools.

He said Mokgacha, Xhaoga and Eretsha have recently been registered as fully-fledged schools and the ministry was in the process of appointing permanent teachers for them. 

Shaikarawe Satellite remains serving a settlement which is yet to be recognized and as such permanent teachers cannot be appointed to it, he said.

Okavango MP Mr Kenny Kapinga had requested an update on the initiatives to convert the high numbers of temporarily employed teachers to permanent employees.

His question included the number of temporary teachers employed in the Okavango Constituency and whether engagement of temporary teachers does not have a negative impact on the academic performance of the concerned schools. ends