Teachers mark in shoddy conditions
CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer
| Friday December 5, 2008 00:00
Teachers are marking in overcrowded classrooms and poor conditions, which is likely to compromise the validity and reliability of the final results.
BOSETU's executive secretary, Justin Hunyepa, says that one would have expected BEC to prove to the public that it was going to provide the best service for the few teachers that have gone to provide 'cheap labour for them.
That the standards have gone further down is unforgivable'.
Hunyepa revealed that with unionisation still in its infancy in Botswana, one can understand why some teachers decided to mark. 'They have since learnt some lessons from the whole ordeal as most have openly shared their bad experiences with BOSETU.
The meager salaries that teachers are paid by government are a contributoryfactor,' he said, adding that teachers are not paid allowances like overtime, scarce skills and professional allowance which are already enjoyed by other government employees.
'Reports reaching BOSETU by our reliable members who have been sent to mark and observe the situation are really sad,' he said.
'The examiners based at Limkokwing University do not have working space. They have been placed in basements.
The poor examiners have gone for more than two days without food while others are served poor quality food. Giving teachers a bottle of 500ml bottle of water for the whole day is all that BEC can afford,' Hunyepa said.
'BOSETU is a union and not an association as it is registered under the labour laws of Botswana. Therefore we will not tolerate flagrant abuse and exploitation of our members by any employer, whether BOSETU members are engaged permanently or temporarily,' he added.