Bogus teachers beware!

• P5 000 fine, jail term for non-compliant teachers
• Teaching Council to crack the whip, targets private schools

BAKANG TIRO

editors@thepatriot.co.bw

Beginning April 2024, Botswana Teaching Professional Council (BOTEPCO) will register and screen teachers’ database, and those with questionable qualifications will be charged P5 000 and fired, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Raphael Dingalo has warned.    

Dr Dingalo said BOTEPCO aims to ensure that teaching is professionalized and therefore the act provides that teachers who are not qualified will not be licensed and their appointment will be revoked. He noted that the quality of education in Botswana is deteriorating owing to a number of reasons that relates to teachers’ professionalism, hence BOTEPCO licensing to regulate conduct of teachers.

“The council is going to work hand in hand with the industry such as institutions to validate qualifications that would be submitted by the teachers when applying to be licensed by BOTEPCO. We are at the stage of developing regulations and code of ethics amongst others,” he said.