The Ministry of Education is headed for yet another examination crisis, after teachers unions this week instructed teachers to withhold students’ course work marks in the wake of collapsed negotiations over pay.
Botswana Sectors of Educators Teachers Union (BOSETU) and Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) have instructed all teachers in the country to withhold course work assessment marks until the deadlock over payment rates for the year 2014 is resolved.
Teachers have been instructed to withhold the marks until the leadership has met with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development to finalise the payments negotiations and get a full update on pending payments. According to a communiqu├® dated April 24, signed by BTU Publicity Secretary Gofaone Pusompe and BOSETU Publicity Secretary Solomon Batsietswe, the union leadership is still waiting for a meeting with ministry officials to discuss course work payment rates for 2014.
“We have not been able to meet with the ministry officials to map the way forward. We are also aware that there are some teachers who are still owed payment for course work for the year 2012 and 2013,” they said.
The two union leaders added that they are fully aware that some teachers have started course work assessment for 2014 and urged them not to submit course work assessment marks until they have met with the ministry to finalise payments rates for the year 2014. Contacted for comment, BOSETU Secretary General Tobokani Rari said their agreement on allowance rates with the Ministry of Education, Skills and Development lapses every December. He added that it took both parties some time to conclude negotiations as they could not agree on the rates. Government wanted to retain the old rates while the unions wanted to add inflationary adjustments to the existing rates as per the agreement. A stalemate ensued and both parties agreed to consult teachers on the matter.
“We agreed to set up a task force comprising members from both sides to consult teachers on whether to maintain the old rates or go for new ones. We were supposed to meet first, but apparently the ministry has somersaulted as it looks like it doesn’t want the meeting to convene,” said Rari.
