- Say there are more than enough qualified Batswana teachers
- Govt has so far rejected 114 applications for work permits- Minister
GAZETTE REPORTER
Temporary and unemployed teachers in Botswana have urged the government to revoke existing work permits for foreign educators and to cease issuing new ones.
In a petition submitted to the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major Pius Mokgware, the teachers emphasised lack of employment opportunities for qualified Batswana educators.
“We urge the government to take immediate action by cancelling work permits issued to foreign teachers currently employed in private schools,” they stated in their petition.
Indefensible
“While we acknowledge the role of foreign expertise in certain sectors, the persistent employment of foreign teachers in private schools, when there are more than enough qualified Batswana teachers, is indefensible.
“Botswana boasts a large pool of well-trained educators capable of fulfilling teaching requirements at all levels.”
The petitioners argued that the employment of foreign teachers exacerbates unemployment among local educators and undermines the potential of homegrown talent.
They highlighted the economic implications, noting that salaries for foreign teachers are often remitted abroad, resulting in significant financial outflows.
Private schools
“By halting the issuance of work permits to foreign teachers, the government will provide a meaningful solution to the ongoing unemployment crisis in the teaching profession and reinforce the principle of employment equity for Batswana citizens,” the petition stated.
The teachers called for legislation for ensuring that private schools prioritise hiring Batswana educators. They criticised private institutions for favouring foreign teachers despite benefitting from state regulations and the broader education system.
“This is in response to the growing disparity in the educational sector where private institutions continue to prioritise the hiring of foreign educators over equally qualified Batswana teachers,” the petition noted.
Xenophobic
Asked whether their call for revocation and suspension of work permits is not xenophobic, the spokesperson of the teachers, Thatayaone Oabile, said it is not.
“We are not being xenophobic but are instead trying to strike a balance in the employment of educators,” he said. “We don’t want a situation where expatriates are the only ones benefitting from the private sector.”
Addressing the petition, Mokgware said they have “noted the concerns and have already rejected 140 work permits applications”. He further urged the disgruntled temporary teachers to be patient.