10 Oct 2023

The establishment of the Botswana Teaching Professionals Council (BOTEPCO) will help improve the declining academic performance in schools.

The council registrar, Dr Raphel Dingalo said this during an engagement meeting with teachers and some union representatives in Maun on Monday.

Dr Dingalo said the council advocated for professional teaching and professionalism, which would help increase capability of the workforce as they would share the best practices to improve productivity.

He said it would also increase trust as government and learners would trust them that they could do better to improve academic results.

“We are aware of some variables that contributed to poor performance such as declining respect for teachers and we are going to address all issues that will lead to improved results, your welfare and performance of students,” he said.

Dr Dingalo further noted that it was worrisome that every time when results were released, teachers were accused for failing students hence the need to be professional in executing their duties.

He also noted that professionalism helped in terms of international recognition, adding that if teachers were licensed, they would be able to drive productivity everywhere in the world.

Teachers were also informed that the council would not fire any teacher, but it would regulate the teaching profession while the employer and their unions continued with their responsibilities.

“As the council, we are not going to take the responsibility of the employer and your unions as our focus would be advocating for the teaching profession, maintain a register of teachers and professional as well as ethical standards for you as teachers,” he said.

Dr Dingalo appealed to teachers to play an active role in the development of the teaching standards and code of ethics, which he said would clearly lay down rules for behaviour and provide the groundwork for a pre-emptive warning.

He expressed gratitude that Botswana Sectors of Education Trade Union (BOSETU) was at an advance stage of developing a code of ethics, saying they would not be starting from the scratch and urged teachers to get ready to  register with the council.

For his part, BOTEPCO director for teacher professional services, Dr Moses Mengwe said the meeting aimed to sensitise teachers about the commencement of the council, which would regulate and license teachers.

He said it was a pity there was no entry point for teachers, hence everyone could become a teacher, but concurred that professionalism meant that teachers were going to earn respect from the public through their deeds.

Dr Dingalo further pointed that schools were experiencing decline in academic results because of lack of continuous teacher development and teacher professional standards.

“As a teacher, you are going to demonstrate that you can produce results for the economy as well as abide by the code of ethics and teaching standards,” he added.

Some teacher union representatives acknowledged the council, saying it was a step in the right direction. Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) representative, Mr Landulani Madubula said they would support the council as it was taking teaching to a higher level.

The council, he said would indeed improve the education system, adding that they experienced decline in performance because of low teaching standards. 

He advised fellow teachers to adhere to standards to protect their integrity and licenses.

The BOSETU representative, Mr Monkatswi Sejapudi said they had long advocated for the establishment of the council to safeguard the integrity of the teaching profession, adding that in 2005, they came up with the code of ethics to regulate their members.

“We also support the council as it would regulate the teaching profession like any other profession. 

We hope the council will not be used to punish teachers but to benefit them,” he said. Ends