Botswana footdragging on education - BOSETU
Botswana is currently not doing enough to ensure that education is prioritised, Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) has complained.
BOSETU spokesperson Oreeditse Nyatso said this on the backdrop of the international day of education which was commemorated this past Tuesday.
“We are worried because Botswana is seemingly not committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. However, we are at the midpoint, 2030 is just around the corner.
“Currently all countries are working towards attainment of the set 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda. One of the 17 goals is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. As BOSETU we do not see the commitment,” Nyatso said.
He explained that teachers are underpaid, unrecognised and underappreciated in schools, adding that they have raised all these issues with government.
He argued that teachers are also crying for support to ensure that they carry their mandate. “There are new emerging challenges every day, teachers are not upskilled and checked on to ensure that they are coping out there,” he said.
Nyatso said that now is the time if the country wants to improve quality of education quality to ensure that they start with the teachers because they are the ones that impart knowledge to the students.
He argued that an unhappy teacher is most likely not to enjoy their job and in the end students suffer the most.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education Douglas Letsholathebe said that they are committed to ensuring that students are offered quality education in the country.
This is why government has been distributing electronic devices to schools for students to use around the country. Government, he said, believes that digitalisation will move the education vehicle forward.
Another major change that hit the schools this year, is the introduction of the Botswana Languages Policy in which students in lower classes are taught in their mother languages.
This is done to ensure that students are not left out during classes because they do not understand English language which has always been used as the official language in schools.
The minister assured that his door is always open to all stakeholders who wish to engage on how to take Botswana education to greater heights.