The Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Education Mrs. 'Malijane Maqelepo says she is striving for teachers to get equal rights like any public servant. Mrs. Maqelepo,  made these remarks at the national Assembly after the government announcement that public servants would  get their monthly salaries paid  directly to the bank. She  said the Teaching Service Department (TSD) is  also considering how teachers could be paid through the bank as well.

The Assistant Minister, said it was discovered that unlike public servants, teaching has peculiar differences, which make it difficult for the teacher's cheques to be deposited at the banks." The problem is that  teachers in primary schools are assembled according to the parishes based on the churches' structures. One parish has over 10 schools and the arrangement is that only one teacher should go to collect all the cheques," she added. Mrs. Maqelepo said, this poses a problem for the teachers to be paid through the banks, as the schools management tends to delay notifying the Ministry when a teacher has resigned and consequently the government pays many skeletons.

Mrs. Maqelepo, said it is clear that if the teachers receive their salaries through the banks, then they would go on receiving their monthly salaries even when they are no longer at work. The Assistant Minister said this problem urged the Ministry to divide
teachers according to the schools they are working at. She stated that as the teachers are many, the process took a long time but it has now been completed.

The Deputy Minister of Education pointed out that the Ministry is  making arrangements for the schools to make their monthly assessments on how teachers have worked. Speaking about the promotion of graduate teachers after 11-year working experience, the Assistant Minister said the government is already working on a proposal to  reduce such requirements, but pointed out that that is only applicable for principals. She stated that for deputy principals, a teacher could be promoted after eight years of  working experience at high schools and two years working experience for primary schools.

Mrs. Maqelepo said on the issue of not including the running and development of sports in the budget of the Ministry of Education, only the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Sports is responsible for that. The Assistant Minister clarified that the roles and duties of the school committees and heads of schools are included in the Education Act of 1995 and Teaching Service Regulations. She however stated that the head teachers seem to give excessive respect to the school managers more than the law.

The Assistant Minister was responding to a question asked by the Basotho National Party (BNP) representative, Mr. Moeketsi Hanyane, on the need to improve teachers working conditions and schools' management. He also asked why the teachers unlike other civil servants, are not paid their monthly salaries directly into their bank accounts, and the reasons for treating graduate teachers differently from other counterparts in the
civil service in terms of promotion.

The BNP representative in the national assembly also wanted to know why the running and development of sports are not included in the budget of the Ministry of Education.
Mr. Hanyane also demanded the Ministry to formulate the terms of reference for school boards and principals, since in most cases the school boards or advisory committees misuse their powers against the principals. The house is currently debating  the Higher Education Bill of  2002.

21 February, 2003