Our education system is appalling

| Friday January 31, 2014 17:01

ur education system is collapsing before all of us and the nation is just watching helplessly. This is a betrayal of innocent children who should be protected and given the best education.

The results have been declining in a row for years now, and without the slightest show that they will improve in the near future. The country has now reached a crisis level in education.

These are the direct products of a failed education system. Productivity levels are reported to be on a downward spiral, partly due to the poor quality of our graduates. As a nation, it seems we have become numb and insensitive to the deteriorating quality of education.

This cannot be allowed to continue, unless we are comfortable with the disaster awaiting to explode. There are clear indications that the education system is on its knees! And yet nothing is being done to help rescue the situation. The matter is now beyond the Minister of Education and Skills Development. A strong lasting solution is needed in education. The nation has to rise and really rise to save the nation. If there is a national issue that needs petitioning the State President into action, it is the education issue. Thousands of defenseless and helpless children have being thrown into the streets by our own education system. Good education should help solve social, economic and political problems. Our education system is a clear embarrassment and it is far from solving the above. It is a paradox that the country is well endowed with such resources to make the children proud, and the nation wealthy and sustainable, and yet we are failing. Each and every one of us has betrayed the children of Botswana. And the worst affected are the poor and disadvantaged children. The Francistown West petition which led to the postponement of the elections was just a storm in a tea cup! Here is a real problem where the State President has to intervene on public and national interest. The Vice President, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, knows the current education system far much better. As the Chairperson of the Kedikilwe Commission of 1993 and the subsequent white paper (Revised National Policy on Education of 1994), Kedikilwe is now in a more privileged position to help direct the country's education system.

Part of the problem with our education is the poorly implemented RNPE which is now more than 20 years old. The pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are not doing well at all. The quality of our graduates at various institutions has been questioned by the different sectors of our economy and some out rightly rejected. The teachers morale is in the sick bay as they are very demotivated by the working and living conditions. Instead of supporting and motivating them, they are subjected to all sorts of harsh treatment ranging from unpaid overtimes, discriminatory levels of operation, forced to stay at schools when schools are closed, made essential services so as to restrict them from full union rights, etc.

Experienced school heads were constructively dismissed and replaced by some who need a lot of guidance and assistance. There has been a lot of pettiness and sloppiness when dealing with education issues. These have led to education being poorly managed as in some instances undeserving people have been elevated to some demanding positions, in schools and other offices. In-service workshops should be reintroduced and properly managed. The workshops used to assist both new and experienced teachers to really appreciate the teaching content and methodologies and even refresh the old horses with the latest strategies in education. It is almost 10 years now since these workshops were stopped under the pretext that there is no money. It is now crystal clear that there is no quality education in our schools.

In fact, there are a host of challenges in education which need appropriate interventions.

An independent and transparent Presidential Commission is needed to solve the education crisis. Teachers unions should step up strategies on how education should be improved. BOSETU is one of those organisations that contributed and lobbied heavily for the formation of a teaching council. BOSETU wants to see professionalism in teaching and those unprofessional should account. That is the position of the union and it is disappointing that the bill is collecting dust somewhere. Civil Society Organisations should rise and make their voice heard.

Parents' role in education is under serious doubt. Some have neglected their roles and left teachers to double as teachers and parents. The socialisation process has collapsed or is on the brink of collapsing completely as reflected by the growing number of undisciplined students in schools.

The Executive (Cabinet) should also come out clearly about the vision and future of this country, otherwise it will be accused of having taken the education system down the drain for having failed to come up with appropriate policies, programmes and other interventions. Planning how to suppress teachers unions is not a viable intervention.

The Parliament, when it opens the budget session on 3rd February, should adjust its programme line up and dedicate more time on education issues. Legislators have a lot of power which should be used to solve the perennial education problems. The nation should watch them very closely and see if they are really concerned with the education of our children. Members of Parliament can differ on any other issues, but we expect them to speak with one strong voice to save the poor children and nation, not rhetoric based on party lines and caucuses.

The State President has to come out clearly and even constructively engage professional bodies that deal with education on a daily basis, like teacher trade unions. His dislike of the trade unions is now costing the nation as he is unwilling to engage them, while the poor children are suffering. President Seretse Khama Ian Khama acted with speed on a number of national issues. In trying to reduce road carnage, he revised traffic fines; introduced alcohol levy; abolished hunting to protect wildlife and lately intervened on the allegedly fraudulent Francistown West by-election by entertaining the questionable petition and ultimately postponing the elections.

Your Excellency, education is the backbone of any economy as it drives it, creates wealth, fights social ills like diseases, crime, unemployment, poverty, etc. In fact, the social, economic and political development of the country hinges heavily on education. Mr President, the education system is helplessly bleeding, and you are to save it! Institute an independent Education Commission with clear terms of reference to help get to the bottom of the real problems in the education system. If nothing happens, expect a genuine petition from the nation.

Justin Hunyepa

Executive Secretary

Botswana Sectors of Education Trade Union

This is a betrayal of innocent children who should be protected and given the best education. The results have been declining in a row for years now, and without the slightest show that they will improve in the near future. The country has now reached a crisis level in education.

As a nation, we are already suffering from the negative effects of the past poor programmes which include two-year junior certificate, the double shift programme, automatic progression of Standard Seven students and so on. The effects of the programmes are already felt as we experience unprecedented levels of crime and other social ills. These are the direct products of a failed education system. Productivity levels are reported to be on a downward spiral, partly due to the poor quality of our graduates. As a nation, it seems we have become numb and insensitive to the deteriorating quality of education. This cannot be allowed to continue, unless we are comfortable with the disaster awaiting to explode. There are clear indications that the education system is on its knees! And yet nothing is being done to help rescue the situation. The matter is now beyond the Minister of Education and Skills Development. A strong lasting solution is needed in education.

The nation has to rise and really rise to save the nation. If there is a national issue that needs petitioning the State President into action, it is the education issue. Thousands of defenseless and helpless children have being thrown into the streets by our own education system. Good education should help solve social, economic and political problems. Our education system is a clear embarrassment and it is far from solving the above. It is a paradox that the country is well endowed with such resources to make the children proud, and the nation wealthy and sustainable, and yet we are failing. Each and every one of us has betrayed the children of Botswana. And the worst affected are the poor and disadvantaged children. The Francistown West petition which led to the postponement of the elections was just a storm in a tea cup! Here is a real problem where the State President has to intervene on public and national interest. The Vice President, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, knows the current education system far much better. As the Chairperson of the Kedikilwe Commission of 1993 and the subsequent white paper (Revised National Policy on Education of 1994), Kedikilwe is now in a more privileged position to help direct the country's education system. Part of the problem with our education is the poorly implemented RNPE which is now more than 20 years old. The pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are not doing well at all. The quality of our graduates at various institutions has been questioned by the different sectors of our economy and some out rightly rejected. The teachers morale is in the sick bay as they are very demotivated by the working and living conditions.

Instead of supporting and motivating them, they are subjected to all sorts of harsh treatment ranging from unpaid overtimes, discriminatory levels of operation, forced to stay at schools when schools are closed, made essential services so as to restrict them from full union rights, etc. Experienced school heads were constructively dismissed and replaced by some who need a lot of guidance and assistance. There has been a lot of pettiness and sloppiness when dealing with education issues. These have led to education being poorly managed as in some instances undeserving people have been elevated to some demanding positions, in schools and other offices. In-service workshops should be reintroduced and properly managed. The workshops used to assist both new and experienced teachers to really appreciate the teaching content and methodologies and even refresh the old horses with the latest strategies in education. It is almost 10 years now since these workshops were stopped under the pretext that there is no money. It is now crystal clear that there is no quality education in our schools.In fact, there are a host of challenges in education which need appropriate interventions. An independent and transparent Presidential Commission is needed to solve the education crisis.

Teachers unions should step up strategies on how education should be improved. BOSETU is one of those organisations that contributed and lobbied heavily for the formation of a teaching council. BOSETU wants to see professionalism in teaching and those unprofessional should account. That is the position of the union and it is disappointing that the bill is collecting dust somewhere. Civil Society Organisations should rise and make their voice heard.Parents' role in education is under serious doubt. Some have neglected their roles and left teachers to double as teachers and parents. The socialisation process has collapsed or is on the brink of collapsing completely as reflected by the growing number of undisciplined students in schools.The Executive (Cabinet) should also come out clearly about the vision and future of this country, otherwise it will be accused of having taken the education system down the drain for having failed to come up with appropriate policies, programmes and other interventions. Planning how to suppress teachers unions is not a viable intervention.The Parliament, when it opens the budget session on 3rd February, should adjust its programme line up and dedicate more time on education issues. Legislators have a lot of power which should be used to solve the perennial education problems. The nation should watch them very closely and see if they are really concerned with the education of our children.

Members of Parliament can differ on any other issues, but we expect them to speak with one strong voice to save the poor children and nation, not rhetoric based on party lines and caucuses. The State President has to come out clearly and even constructively engage professional bodies that deal with education on a daily basis, like teacher trade unions. His dislike of the trade unions is now costing the nation as he is unwilling to engage them, while the poor children are suffering. President Seretse Khama Ian Khama acted with speed on a number of national issues. In trying to reduce road carnage, he revised traffic fines; introduced alcohol levy; abolished hunting to protect wildlife and lately intervened on the allegedly fraudulent Francistown West by-election by entertaining the questionable petition and ultimately postponing the elections. Your Excellency, education is the backbone of any economy as it drives it, creates wealth, fights social ills like diseases, crime, unemployment, poverty, etc. In fact, the social, economic and political development of the country hinges heavily on education. Mr President, the education system is helplessly bleeding, and you are to save it! Institute an independent Education Commission with clear terms of reference to help get to the bottom of the real problems in the education system.

If nothing happens, expect a genuine petition from the nation.Justin HunyepaExecutive SecretaryBotswana Sectors of Education Trade Union