JUST TOO MUCH
Teachers’ workload compromises the learning and teaching process hence the Ministry of Education and Skills Development must consider reducing it, the Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Unions (BOSETU) Secretary-General Tobokani Rari has said.
In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Rari said teacher workload is a serious matter that needs urgent attention.
According to Rari, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, a teacher would ordinarily have a maximum of four lessons per day, but now teachers are expected to teach at least six lessons per day.
Rari stressed that this is an overload, as they do not have enough time to prepare lessons for classes. Rari noted that a teacher’s workload is not determined by time but by the classes they teach. Currently, each teacher teaches 45 lessons per week and eight periods per day which means they are engaged the whole day.
“If the teachers’ lessons are increased, preparation time should also be increased and on teacher-students ration, government should follow the international standard which is 1:30,” Rari said.
He wondered how teachers are going to handle the increased number of lessons and bulging classes as the Ministry suggests because this will negatively affect the quality of education.
Rari said the Union is consulting with the Education ministry’s Permanent Secretary with the intention to resolve the matter.
In an interview with The Midweek Sun, Rari said teacher workload is a serious matter that needs urgent attention.
According to Rari, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, a teacher would ordinarily have a maximum of four lessons per day, but now teachers are expected to teach at least six lessons per day.
Rari stressed that this is an overload, as they do not have enough time to prepare lessons for classes. Rari noted that a teacher’s workload is not determined by time but by the classes they teach. Currently, each teacher teaches 45 lessons per week and eight periods per day which means they are engaged the whole day.
“If the teachers’ lessons are increased, preparation time should also be increased and on teacher-students ration, government should follow the international standard which is 1:30,” Rari said.
He wondered how teachers are going to handle the increased number of lessons and bulging classes as the Ministry suggests because this will negatively affect the quality of education.
Rari said the Union is consulting with the Education ministry’s Permanent Secretary with the intention to resolve the matter.
