Teaching is one of those noble professions that have suffered countless emotional tirades despite the fact that it is basically the mother of all professions since the art of teaching produces professionals for other diverse professions. Gone are the days when teaching as a profession was held in high esteem. A teacher historically used to be accorded the due status they deserve in society.
However, the agonies that have tormented the teaching profession over the years have tampered with the glory days of the profession and to date this profession has been dissolved to a disheartening status because of the socio-economic and political hostilities surrounding it. 
As of today, the teaching profession continues to endure the pain of times at the same time persevering socio-economic discrimination from the powers that be.  The identity of the profession has been deliberately distorted by those in authority and the general morale of teachers today has hit the ground floor. This is so pathetic and one continues to wonder-is the teaching profession cursed?
The teaching profession continues to be engulfed in a ritual of complaints surrounding the welfare of the teachers and over a long period of time-no one seems to really care about the conditions of teachers and yet this people play an unmatched role is shaping the future citizens of our country. We are a democracy with legislatures and yet there seem to be no display of determined spirits who would like to turn around events in the profession for the better.
Great injustice is done to both the educator and the learner and our failure as a nation to take the teaching profession serious is a recipe for a disaster. A frustrated teacher is a danger to the quality of education and general efficiency in the teaching profession. As the saying goes; a hungry lion is an angry one, the same goes for teachers; an angry and frustrated teacher is a dangerous one in as far as the quality of education is concerned.
The conditions of service for teachers ought to be emancipated to better levels if at all we want excellent results. This is a matter of socio-economic principle which should never be taken for granted. 
As Botswana Teachers’ Union (BTU) together with our sister unions have channelled our energies towards resolving the problems surrounding poor conditions of service such as poor if not horrible accommodation, levels of operation-whereby you find that a teacher holding a degree at primary school is paid lesser than a degree holder at┬á secondary school. This kind of discrimination deepens the already dying morale of teachers since to them it does not ring a bell on why they ought to be paid differently yet they are both degree holders in the same profession. No teaching degree is better than any other-this would only make┬á sense if may be we were comparing teaching to nursing or something┬á like that for the obvious reasons that a teacher and┬á a nurse pursue varied professional tasks. As such, the fracas surrounding the disparity in the levels of operation within the teaching profession ought to be resolved with the due expediency. Simple logic would dictate that this is an issue which is not worth contesting because it’s a straight forward case of professional justice and equity. The new Public Service Act has bred some goodies for the teaching profession as well as some complications and frustrations. However, the bone of contention rests upon the fact that the 8 hours that teachers are expected to render their services to teaching as well as┬ásports, does not legitimately do justice to the┬á learners as well as the teachers since the time factor is constrained among other things.
As such since the 8 hours’ work day is based on the premise of 22 days of work pay, ours is a simple plea that the teachers deliver their services within 10 hours and be remunerated on a 26 days of work. Such a scenario would cushion a lot of stress and ultimately it would impact the teaching-learning process positively, thus elevating the quality of our education.
Finally, another anomaly of inferiority bestowed upon teachers is the fact that when they  go for further studies, on their second year of study they are placed on a half-salary and  yet other public servants such as the Police Force and the Defense Force are allowed to have their full pays until they are done with their  studies.
It is for this obvious reason that a good number of teachers decide to forgo further training with the legitimate mentality that should they go for further studies-the second  year of their studies will bring embarrassing financial circumstances, as their already meagre finances could not sustain bills, mortgages and other loans on a half paych. 
More often than not as teachers when we raise this issues we are seen as undisciplined loonies who want to create havoc yet the fact of the matter is that the teaching profession is going down the drains day in and out and the quality of education continues to leave much to be desired. As a great nation that we are, we can do better. We ought to protect the future of our children by doing justice to those who are behind their success. 
At times it doesn’t help to spend time in meetings discussing these issues yet the results never come to the fore. That on its own in a waste of resources and probably now is the best time as lovers of this democracy to become pragmatic and progressive minded. Otherwise “the ghost” tormenting the teaching profession will continue haunting us and many people in our democracy would continuing pondering over the question; is the teaching profession cursed or is just that people do not care?
(Ibo Nana Kenosi is the Secretary General of Botswana Teachers Union)
