Early Childhood teachers feel unwanted

Graduates of Early Childhood Education feel that the Ministry of Education is side-lining them when it comes to hiring teachers in schools.

The graduates say government is seemingly overlooking them because they cannot recall the last time any of them got hired.

The aggrieved have created a WhatsApp group and a Facebook page where they air their grievances and try to advise each other regarding the predicament they find themselves in.

“Government is busy hiring teachers because of the many vacancies available but what we have observed is that they are hiring secondary education teachers and even deploying them to primary schools,” concerned graduates who preferred anonymity said.

The graduates alleged that whenever they go to Education Regional offices to enquire why they are not being absorbed into the system, they are not given any proper feedback.

“We wonder why government spent huge sums of money sponsoring our education only to ignore us with our qualifications. We are depressed because of unemployment and we are starving, we are not even getting temporary jobs.

“When we do get lucky and are hired on temporary basis, our contracts get terminated and we are replaced with secondary education graduates. We feel they prefer them compared to us,” they cried.

What shocks them is that government is hiring diploma and certificate holders of Secondary Education neglecting Early Childhood Education degree holders.

The frustrated graduates feel that their qualifications are being frowned upon and if that is the case, they request that government should make it clear for all students wanting to pursue Early Childhood Education degrees that chances of them getting hired are minimal to zero.

They also said it is unfair for government to be utilizing the services of those absorbed through the National Service Programme (Tirelo Sechaba) as teacher aides, saying most of them teach lower classes of standard one to three.

Another affected Early Childhood graduate said she was at one point teaching a standard six class and does not understand if they are only of importance when the ministry is desperate for teachers and then dumped when their services are no longer needed.

Responding to the matter, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mmoloki Raletobana said they are not overlooking anybody.

“What we normally realise is that some of them did go to school but do not have qualifications needed to be hired. Some go to schools or colleges that are not accredited, meaning their qualifications cannot be recognised,” Raletobana explained.

He added that those who believe that they are in good standing and are deliberately being ignored, should see him at his office for individual assistance.

“When hiring teachers, regions look at their needs. One will find that a graduate with early childhood education can only teach up to standard two or three, so schools obviously look into what kind of teacher they need.

“Maybe they look at a teacher who can be able to teach both lower classes and upper classes. It has nothing to do with them being overlooked and not wanted,” he assured.