Mbabane: “We will continue to pursue the issue of transfers with the TSC once the Covid-19 dust has settled down,” said the Secretary General.
Eswatini National Teachers Association (SNAT) continues to punch more holes in the operations of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). They said the welfare of teachers lied in the hands of not only the government but their direct employers, the TSC. The association’s Secretary General, Sikelela Dlamini told this publication that while government was making efforts to bring teachers closer to their communities they were desperately slow resulting in depletion of what little teachers were saving. Dlamini said some teachers work half way across the country and government’s failure to work on the Cost of Living Adjustment (CoLa) continues to impoverish teachers. He said the least that government could do is speed up teachers’ transfers closer to their communities so they can save on what little they have. “Imagine a teacher taking public transport from Lavumisa to Pigg’s Peak to visit family and what money he has to pay as fare,” said the secretary general who added that it should not be a wonder that some teachers take months to visit their families. Government should not be seen to be facilitating the separation of families but as it stands that is what they are literally doing, said the SG.
Drawing teachers closer to their communities would help in many ways especially in the area of saving money. For instance, said the SG, instead of staying at the teachers’ quarters they would stay at their homes while also contributing towards their own households. “We know of teachers who lived and retired in the teachers’ quarters and were disgraced when they had to return home all because they didn’t have houses of their own. The retirement package which would be used to venture into business or enjoyed while resting would instead be diverted to building houses, and in the end teachers would die poor people, lamented the SG. He said they had engaged the government through the TSC and raised such critical issues as speedy transfers but had seen little progress to this far. A teacher or anyone else for that matter could only be truly happy when closer to kith and kin and with happiness comes excellent work ethics and performance, he said. Teachers who drive can save so much on petrol and other car parts which over long distances quickly wear off. The exorbitant prices with which these commodities come and failure of government to implement the long sought after financial adjustments has led teachers to live from hand to mouth. Government’s failure to implement such adjustments and speed up transfer processes has turned government into a harsh boss, said the SG, adding that a research has proved that a harsh boss contributes to the sickness of employers and it remains to be seen how they can help advance the education system’s profit.
Student-teacher affairs
Dlamini said among other benefits that come with bringing teachers closer to their communities is curbing the tendency of teachers falling in love with learners. He said if a teacher works around his birth of place where he is well known, it is improbable that he can lure fellow community members who in this case would be his students, to a sexual relationship. Traditionally, said the SG, community members have viewed themselves as brothers and sisters and the thought of teacher-student affairs is often far off. Lately, sexual relationships between teachers and students have rocked the education system and interfered in the future of young people. This can stop if government opened her eyes and facilitate the speedy process of transfers, said the SG. “The future of our children is at stake and while as a teachers’ union we do not condone such acts on the part of teachers we would like government to see how they (government) can also be the contributing factor,” said the SG, adding that just as learners teachers should get help. Also, in terms of developing learners at academic level bringing teachers closer to their homes can help out a lot, said the secretary general. He said having been born and raised in a community lends one to know certain character qualities of other community members which can help a lot in terms of knowing how to administer knowledge to learners. If, for instance, a learner comes from a family line which is characterised by a slow learning ability teachers can know if whether or not they have to be patient. He said basically, teachers would know how to help the child out and contribute towards a brighter future.
On a parting shot, in view of the novel Covid-19 the secretary general cautioned learners to study while they stay at home. “They should know that while at home they are not at a holiday resort but should look at their homes as a different school set up, where parents and guardians are the teachers,” said the SG.
Currently, teachers are at home after government ordered schools to be closed in observance of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus also called Covid-19.
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