29 Jan 2014

Student ratio is a contributing factor to the ability of teachers to be able to teach students.

This was said by the Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, when addressing a press conference in Gaborone on January 28. Dr Venson-Moitoi said teachers were overwhelmed and “we cannot turn a blind eye on this issue and pretend not to see this.”

This issue, she said, was one of her ministry’s key areas of focus starting this year, adding that “we have been aware of this issue, it’s not like we did not know about it. It’s just that we were addressing other more burning issues than this one. But we are now going to address it as it is one of our key focal areas.”

Dr Venson-Moitoi pleaded with parents to also stand up for their children’s education, saying that was the only way that children would perform well at school.

“We have passed four of the eight laws that we were supposed to be working on in this past year. The remaining four we are going to push this year. These are the; Education Act, Teaching Service Act- which we hope to have separated from the Public Service Act, Teaching Council Act and the Botswana Examinations Act,” she said.

These remaining four laws, she said were on the front banner and “I hope to have those completed before I complete my term at the Ministry of Education in October this year.”

In addition, the other things that "we are going to be doing are that we have been given money in this year’s budget". She said their maintenance budget was almost P800 million, which included money for; expansions of facilities, construction of some housing units and improvement of equipment.

All of this, she said was intended at improving the teaching environment, adding that her ministry was addressing the issue of conditions of service and was almost at the end to conclude the levels of operation matter.

The issue of hours of work, Dr Venson-Moitoi said would be addressed by separating the Teaching Service Act from the Public Service Act, because teachers would be able to go on vacation with students when public schools close. This, she said to a very large extent would answer the issue of teachers’ hours of work. ENDS