Africa-Press – Botswana. Teachers’ unions say stopping parents from helping with photocopying will add to existing problems because public schools are under-resourced and rely on parental support to supplement inadequate government funding.
The country’s two major teachers’ unions, have raised alarm over a recent directive by the Minister of Basic Education, Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, that bars parents from assisting schools with photocopying learning materials.
The Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) and the Botswana Sectors of Educators Union (BOSETU) say this could impact student performance nationwide severely and are seeking a meeting with the minister because the decision will add to existing problems.
Speaking in an interview in the wake of the decision, both unions criticised the directive, highlighting that public schools are under-resourced and therefore rely heavily on parental support to supplement inadequate government funding.
“Education is a partnership”
Said the president of BTU, Gotlamang Oitsile: “Education is a partnership between parents and the government. While the government is responsible for providing learning resources, where there are gaps, parental assistance is needed. The minister has erred by telling parents to stop assisting schools with photocopying materials.”
Oitsile expressed concern that the decision will affect the education system negatively because teachers will be left with no alternatives. “It is going to be a challenge because teachers will say they are unable to teach due to unavailability of photocopying materials,” he said.
“The minister failed to consult relevant stakeholders before taking this decision. She also failed to clarify whether the government will now budget for these materials.
“We want her to tell us whether there are interventions in place to resolve the longstanding issue of the shortage of learning materials in schools.”
Political expediency
For his part, the president of BOSETU, Winston Radikolo, described the minister’s decision as an act of political expediency. “The ban on parental assistance is not just a logistical issue but is also an educational emergency in the making,” he said.
“Without sufficient materials, teachers were forced to improvise because they are judged on the performance of their students. With this decision, students will be left without the tools they need to learn effectively.”
Radikolo also expressed surprise, noting that the minister herself had previously proposed parental contributions. “The minister once suggested contributions of P10 for parents,” he said.
Overcrowded classrooms
“She acknowledged the lack of resources back then. To our surprise, she now seems to have forgotten her own words. This is a clear example of political expediency because no real interventions have been provided.”
According to the unions, the decision will add to significant challenges faced by public schools such as overcrowded classrooms, shortage of textbooks and limited access to digital learning tools.
They say instead of restricting community involvement, the government should be finding ways to work more closely with parents for improved outcomes for students.
Reach out
In a savingram last week, Minister Kgafela-Mokoka instructed public schools to stop accepting help from parents for photocopying materials.
“You are advised that it is an obligation of the ministry, through schools, to provide learning resources to learners,” she wrote. “In instances where schools find themselves in compromised financial circumstances, they should reach out to the ministry for facilitation.”
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