19 Jan 2025

Botswana College of Engineering and Technology, Tlokweng College of Education and Tlokweng Brigade lecturers have expressed displeasure at the lack of professional progression in their respective institutions.

Briefing the Minister of Tertiary Education, Mr Prince Maele who visited the institutions, staff of the three facilities indicated that lack of progress affected production due to demoralisation, which they said was worsened by unconducive work environment.

They told the minister, who visited the institutes of learning recently, that they found themselves stagnated at C-scales where they earned too little against the high living standards.

Representing the Tlokweng Brigade staff, Ms Primrose Seiphemelo said her institution had only one D4 position, making it impossible to grow beyond C2 scale, where most of them had stagnated.

Ms Seiphemelo said in the Business Department they were not receiving scarce skill incentives like their peers at other institution, yet they were teaching the same programme.

She said even if they applied for advertised positions in other institutions, they neither got invited for interviews nor feedback on their shortcomings.

For his part, Mr Johannes Tshukudu of Tlokweng College of Education said the work environment at the college was appalling with office space shared among a maximum of four people, which set up he said was not ideal for both colleagues and clients.

He decried shortage of printers, which he said compromised exams credibility as printing now had to be done in Gaborone.

Mr Tshukudu also decried lack of progression within the college staff, citing other maladministration issues where an officer at D4 scale acted for a D1 position over 12 months while supervising those at D3 and D2 salary scale.

He appealed for SmartBots internet installed in the college for easy internet access.

BCET staff also shared their grievances through Mr Kago Ramaselwana, a Mechanical Engineering lecturer at Botswana College of Engineering and Technology, who said that they also lacked progression in their profession.

Mr Ramaselwana also spoke of lack of staff development, which appeared to be a stumbling block when trying their luck with job opportunities. He requested that programs offered by the institution be upgraded from Diploma to Degree level.

The Mechanical Engineering lecturer also said the equipment and laboratory materials needed upgrading to enhance teaching.

 Mr Ramaselwana suggested that staff at his college be provided with institutional accommodation, adding that the 12 units they were offered in 2012 after crying to the Minister and the Permanent Secretary were uninhabitable because ceilings were collapsing and paint peeled off.

In response, Minister Maele said government acknowledged the dire situation from which brigades and technical colleges operated.

 He further said the plan was to use technical colleges and brigades to create employment for the youth.

Mr Maele said he was to embark on a nationwide tour of such institutions to appreciate their state, thereby informing government decision going forward.

 Minister Maele suggested online courses for brigade lecturers in order to continue while teaching. ENDS