Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Government to hike examination invigilation rate

Government is next week expected to announce an increase in examination invigilation rate for this year’s examinations to attract teachers.

The move is believed to be an attempt to avoid a repeat of last year’s examination embarrassment. Government recently set up a committee of inquiry, which is on countrywide tour to investigate the cause of the examination mess.

The public relations officer of the ministry of Education and Skills Development, Nomsa Zuze, said this week that “we have been meeting with teachers unions for some time and the discussions are making a lot of progress”.

She said both parties are expected to make an announcement this week on invigilation rates.
“I am not in a position to preempt the outcome of the meeting but as soon as both parties have agreed, a pronouncement will be made”, she said. “I am hopeful that both parties will reach a solution for the betterment of the students.”

The Secretary General of Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union, BOSETU, Kwenasebele Modukanele, said, “We have been negotiating with the ministry for some time. We have given them a deadline until this coming Friday to reach an agreement on the invigilation rate.”

He said so far the members want P100 per hour or P50 at the least.

He said the government is prepared to pay around P40 and this may cause a deadlock.
He said once the ministry agrees to the union demands, teachers will then do both invigilation and marking of the examinations.

He also said he was “optimistic that both the ministry and the union will have reached an amicable solution this coming Friday”.

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