Africa-Press – Botswana. A rising wage bill in the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education has been cited as the primary reason behind delays in payments to temporary teachers.
Responding to questions at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Acting Permanent Secretary Ms Mmamiki Kamanakao said the growing cost of staffing, combined with challenges in budget planning, had placed increased financial pressure on the education budget.
As a result, she noted, temporary teachers often experience delays in receiving their monthly wages. Ms Kamanakao stated that the ministry was working on restructuring budget allocations and seeking additional funding to ensure that temporary teachers were compensated fairly and promptly.
“We are still looking for funding from other votes,” she explained.
She emphasised the importance of temporary teachers, particularly as student enrolment continues to rise and schools increasingly rely on them to meet staffing demands. She stressed that a sustainable solution to the wage bill challenge was urgently needed.
PAC member, Mr Boniface Mabeo questioned the ministry’s prioritisation of permanent staff over temporary teachers, suggesting that contractual obligations may be limiting available funds for timely payments to temporary hires.
Mr Mabeo highlighted the impact of delayed payment on the morale and livelihood ofthe temporary teachers. He said he had received multiple complaints from temporary teachers who had not been paid for over two months. He urged the Permanent Secretary to address the matter with urgency.
“Temporary teachers are essential to maintaining continuity in education, especially in understaffed regions. They deserve respect, fair treatment, and timely pay,” he said.
Another PAC member, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile, called for a review of how temporary teachers were engaged. Mr Kekgonegile proposed that temporary teachers be offered contracts on a longer-term basis, such as a year, rather than termly or three-month arrangements. He argued that short-term contracts contribute to poor performance and instability in the education system.
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