D&T teachers down tools
The tale of teachers and the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) seems far from over. This is despite the fact that ‘improved’ conditions are brought about every examination cycle. Design and Technology teachers have literally downed tools.
Through the Botswana Design and Technology Association (BODATA), teachers have written to the BEC announcing their immediate withdrawal from engagement in BEC activities. These include coursework invigilation assessment and supervision.
“This communique serves to inform council of the aforementioned decision by the Botswana Design and Technology teachers. The teachers through unions on numerous occasions have tried to engage on harmonious resolutions of grievances we have only to be unsuccessful,” BODATA chairperson, Arone Mosepele wrote.
“Through these unsuccessful engagements it has come to our attention that you are not anyhow intending to formally contract us to carry out your mandate of assessing, supervising and marking course work papers JC 17/3 and BGCSE 595/2. By this letter we are notifying your office that as
Design and Technology teachers, we have ceased to supervise coursework with immediate effect.”
Speaking to Mmegi, Mosepele said they would carry on teaching theory syllabus to the students as they await response from
BEC. He also said they had been doing the work for free and now want to have contracts before they can begin work as they are not compelled to do the work for BEC.
Mosepele stated in the letter that they were guided by Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi’s court ruling dated September 28, 2009 which states: “the invigilation and supervision of external examination does not fall within the ambit of duties of the applicant’s members and that members of the applicant cannot be compelled to invigilate or supervise external national examinations.”
BOSETU had taken the Ministry of Education to court over the directive issued by the Teaching Service Management that the duty to invigilate any examinations offered in the schools inalienably remains the function of the teachers in the institutions unless otherwise instructed by employer.
However, in his judgement Justice Phumaphi said the invigilation and supervision of external examinations does not fall within the ambit of the duties of teachers.
He declared the directive null and void as it relates to external national examinations. BEC corporate communications manager, Fingile Makgalemele said they would be engaging the association as soon as possible.
“We are not clear with the contents of the letter and have since called on the association to meet so we can get to the bottom of the matter. We believe their grievances could be meant for their employer and not us, but we cannot say much until we hear them out which we hope to do soon,” she said.