Overtime allowance creates tension in schools
ONALENNA KELEBEILE
Staff Writer
| Wednesday May 22, 2013 00:00
It emerged during a visit by the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Skills Development to Selebi-Phikwe Secondary School on Tuesday that the stipend has led to the mushrooming of clubs whose activities overlap into weekends in schools.
During submissions to the committee led by Okavango MP Bagalatia Aaron, one teacher said the introduction of overtime has resulted in clubs sprouting in schools.He said the participation of teachers in extra-curriculum activities is compulsory per the teachers' scheme of service but wondered if government will afford to pay them overtime because the activities are mostly conducted on weekends.
'Recently we received information to the effect that overtime should be reduced by 50 percent. Now there is a conflict relating to whose club to get rid of because there is no criteria that can be used to reduce the number of teachers in extra-curriculum activities,' he reiterated.
The teacher further expressed concern over students called for national service such as sports national teams. He complained that their education is compromised and when they fail the blame is pinned on teachers.Chief education officer for Selebi-Phikwe-Bobirwa Sub Region Lillian Matshameko reiterated that the issue of overtime has created serious tension between the regional office and schools as well as schools and teachers.
She said it has come to a point where every teacher wants to be doing something. She added that this is despite the fact that the schools' schedule is already congested, meaning that such activities then encroach into the weekends.
She further said she is forced to reluctantly approve overtime claims because she also has to account to the higher office.'The issue of overtime is a serious cause for concern, something has to be done because it is disturbing,' she added.
The regional officer noted that nationally, P97 million is spent on overtime monthly and highlighted that it has now turned schools into an environment of emotional battles. Teachers indicated that the new levels of operation that will be implemented at the beginning of June have not brought anything to write home about for senior secondary school teachers compared to their counterparts at junior secondary schools.
They told the committee that as a result, junior secondary school teachers who had been applying for posts in senior secondary schools have withdrawn their submissions. The regional education officer confirmed that she has already received two such withdrawals.