Facebook Feed

  • TDR 1000 returns February 3, 2023
    The Dakar Rally, considered as one of the toughest in many years, is now something of the past and South African Rally-Raid competitors proved their talent while local race vehicle manufacturers and constructors showed their worth and returned from […]
  • Orange splashes P15.4m on FA CupFebruary 3, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Orange Botswana through the Orange FA Cup has renewed its sponsorship with Botswana Football Association (BFA) for an additional three seasons valued at P5 138 000 00, an investment increase of 17%. The renewed collaboration will […]
  • Sefalana posts P4.9 billion revenueFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw Diversified retail giant Sefalana has posted impressive set of results for the half year period ended 30 October, with the company recording P4.5 billion in total revenue. Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed home grown retailer released […]
  • BSB lists P1 billion bondFebruary 2, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Botswana Savings Bank (BSB) has listed a bond worth P1 billion with the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE). The bond note programme will give BSB access to capital and provide alternative funding, reducing dependency on short- term […]
  • Botswana, OPEC seal P1.2 billion loan dealFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw The Minister of Finance Peggy Serame is highly confident that the P1.2 billion loan that Botswana has secured from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for the International Development Fund (OPEC) will boost the country’s […]
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
Friday, February 3, 2023
17 °c
Gaborone
21 ° Tue
22 ° Wed
24 ° Thu
26 ° Fri
The Patriot On Sunday
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
The Patriot On Sunday
No Result
View All Result
Home News

‘Close down schools’

patriot by patriot
February 8, 2021
in News
245 7
0
‘Close down schools’
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
ShareShareShare

Teacher trade unions are heading for a showdown with the Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) with the unions demanding that schools be temporarily closed because of the surge in COVID-19 cases in schools.

The reopening of public schools last week, at a time when local transmitted cases and deaths were escalating raised mixed reactions but government insisted that the situation in under control. Teacher trade unions Botswana Sectors of Educators Union (BOSETU) and Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) have always cast aspersions on the readiness level of schools amid surging cases locally.

BOSETU has earlier expressed deep fear over the danger that COVID-19 posed to Sefhare Junior Secondary School after one confirmed positive case was detected at the school.

In an interview on Friday,Secretary General Tobokani Rari said the upsurge in cases recently shows that the country is in the second wave of the pandemic, hence schools remain the most vulnerable to infections. Therefore, BOSETU has advised that schools be closed temporarily with immediate effect. Rari said such a proposal is supported by the realisation that many schools are not compliant with Covid19 precautionary requirements.

“We set up a team of own assessors on the ground. Some schools don’t have basic water and sanitizers for teachers and students. The Director of Public Health has dropped the guard regarding school compliance. The second wave is hitting schools hard,” Rari buttressed.

To that end, he revealed that the union is contemplating to slap minister of basic education with a proposal letter that schools be closed to curb the worsening situation in the schools. He added that schools are no longer closed for fumigation after the positive case of Covid-19 was identified in the school environment as it has been the case before hence fearing the worst is yet to come.

“The situation is very bad and look at what happened at Sefhare Junior School. There was a positive case confirmed there and business is usual as nothing has happened. Teachers and students are at risk hence we called on health authorities to close down school,” said Rari.

BOSETU Secretary General opined that schools are currently congested due to the arrival of new standard 1 and form 1 classes with coming of form 4s soon likely to throw schools into a crisis.

Secretary General of BTU Agang Habana said their position is that schools should close too. He revealed that the union has written to Permanent Secretary of Basic Education, Bridget John, on Tuesday suggesting that schools be closed temporarily to allow the ministry and unions to strategize on the way forward. John had not responded to the BTU proposal on Friday.

According to Habana, BTU was not comfortable with schools re-opening on 12th January 2020. “The schools were opened at a the time when the virus was at its peak. The task force team and ministry assured us that the re-opening was guided by research. We observed the trends in the region and we saw South Africa and Namibia delaying to open due to the virus,” said Habana, reitewrating the position adopted by his counterpart Rari and BOSETU. They concur that some schools lack basic needs such as water and sanitizers, therefore at higher risk to the new variant.

In addition, he said BTU on Thursday engaged Director of Public Service Management (DPSM), Goitseone Mosalakatane, to dialogue on ways teachers could be assisted in areas such as working from home to decongest school environments. BTU has rejected proposals put forward by DPSM, arguing that they do not cater for teachers. Going forward the teacher trade unions plan to engage MoBE.

Efforts to reach both minister of basic education Fidelis Molao and Permanent Secretary Bridget John proved futile as they did not answer calls to their cell phones byb the time of going to print.

Teachers succumb

Meanwhile, the worried Habana said the most worrying part is that some teachers recently succumbed to the virus. By December, he indicated that seven (7) of their members had died of coronavirus related complications.

Currently, one of the union regional organizers is in hospital battling the pandemic under dire health conditions. “Teachers are vulnerable. The virus has found its way into schools and it will leave a very devastating effects if schools are don’t closely amid the surge at the moment. On daily basis, I receive calls countrywide and this week I received calls from our members in Nata, Sua Town, Tshesebe and Kgatleng reporting confirmed cases in schools. Situation is bad,” Habana whined.

Rari and Habana cautioned government that if schools aren’t closed schools will be wiped by the pandemic buttressing that there is a need not to take for granted compliance in schools.

Related

Tags: Schools

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
  • TDR 1000 returns February 3, 2023
    The Dakar Rally, considered as one of the toughest in many years, is now something of the past and South African Rally-Raid competitors proved their talent while local race vehicle manufacturers and constructors showed their worth and returned from […]
  • Orange splashes P15.4m on FA CupFebruary 3, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Orange Botswana through the Orange FA Cup has renewed its sponsorship with Botswana Football Association (BFA) for an additional three seasons valued at P5 138 000 00, an investment increase of 17%. The renewed collaboration will […]
  • Sefalana posts P4.9 billion revenueFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw Diversified retail giant Sefalana has posted impressive set of results for the half year period ended 30 October, with the company recording P4.5 billion in total revenue. Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed home grown retailer released […]
  • BSB lists P1 billion bondFebruary 2, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Botswana Savings Bank (BSB) has listed a bond worth P1 billion with the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE). The bond note programme will give BSB access to capital and provide alternative funding, reducing dependency on short- term […]
  • Botswana, OPEC seal P1.2 billion loan dealFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw The Minister of Finance Peggy Serame is highly confident that the P1.2 billion loan that Botswana has secured from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for the International Development Fund (OPEC) will boost the country’s […]
The Patriot On Sunday

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?