22 Jun 2023

Botswana Teaching Professionals Council (BOTEPCO) has commenced operations with key focus on regulating the teaching profession to assure quality and promote the profession.

Addressing a press conference recently, BOTEPCO registrar Dr Raphael Dingalo said they were working on the modalities that would guide the process of registration and licensing of teachers.

“The nation and teachers will be informed accordingly,” Dr Dingalo told a press conference meant to create awareness and sensitise teachers and members of the public about BOTEPCO’s commencement of work and its mandate.

He said the organisation’s  priority included developing regulations to operationalise the BOTEPCO Act No. 22 of 2019, through which the council was established as a body corporate under its provisions.

More work also needed to be done in setting up processes that entailed Financial Policies and Procedure Manual, Fixed Assets Policies and Procedure Manual as well as Procurement Policies, he said.

He also explained that BOTEPCO was moving swiftly towards the development of registration and licensing requirements, teaching standards and a code of ethics for teachers.

Dr Dingalo said the Act prescribed that a person shall not be employed or practice as a teacher unless they have been registered with the council and had been issued with a teaching license.

Additionally, as per the Act a person who practiced without a teaching license commits an offence and was liable to a fine not exceeding P5 000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or both.

Explaining the registration process, he said an application for registration would be made to the council in the prescribed form, accompanied by a prescribed fee and relevant documentation and information.

Once successfully registered, he said, the council would issue a teaching license which shall be valid for a period not exceeding 36 months, from the date of registration, for a non-citizen and for a period not exceeding 60 months, from the date of registration, for a citizen.

Subsequent to the provisions of the Act, Dr Dingalo said the council would establish and maintain a register of persons registered as teachers, which would be kept at the offices of the council. “This register shall be open for inspection during office hours by any member of the public upon payment of such fee as may be prescribed,” he said.

In support of registration and licensing of teachers, BOTEPCO registrar said, the council would develop a high-level system architecture that would interface with other systems, such as National Identity for verification and validation of nationals, Botswana Qualifications Authority for the validation and verification of qualifications, education and training providers for the validation of qualifications and enrolled student teachers.

He also added that there would  be a payment gateway for online payment to have teachers register and pay at the convenience of their locality.

Besides regulating the teaching profession, Dr Dingalo said BOTEPCO was also mandated to maintain a register of teachers, maintain professional and ethical standards for teachers, license teachers, establish, publish, review and maintain a code of ethics and advocate for the teaching profession.

Other functions of the council are to monitor adherence to the code of ethics, review and advise on professional standards of teachers, determine the criteria and procedure for registration, training and professional development of teachers as well as establishing panels to investigate and hear complaints against teachers and to ensure a fair hearing is held in accordance with the procedure determined by the board and conduct research to inform quality teaching.

In her welcome remarks, BOTEPCO chairperson Ms Selang Mogatwane explained that the board was inaugurated in 2020. Board members include the chairperson, registrar, an ex-officio member, two representatives from parent-teacher associations as well as three representatives from the existing registered and recognised teacher trade unions.

Additionally, Ms Mogatwane said, there were representatives from special education needs, public school heads, private school heads, Botswana Qualifications Authority, a registered private schools teacher-parent association, an educational business organisation, retired school head, retired school inspector and Ministry of Education and Skills Development.

Sharing BOTEPCO journey, the board vice chairperson, also Botswana Secondary Teachers Union (BOSETU) vice president Mr Mogomotsi Motshegwa expressed delight that government took a decision to consult extensively on the establishment of the professional body.

Mr Motshegwa noted that in 2019 a task force was constituted to consult all relevant stakeholders on the establishment of a teaching professional body.

Following such consultations, he said, the task force produced a report on the proposed structure, functions and scope of BOTEPCO which formed part of the draft BOTEPCO Bill. 

Satisfied with the Draft Bill, it was presented in Parliament in 2019 and consequently the BOTEPCO Act was passed by Parliament, the same year. 

In his vote of thanks, BOTEPCO board member and Botswana Teachers Union vice president, Mr Kenathata Dipogiso called upon teachers to ready themselves to register once the process started. Ends