The educators trade unions-Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) and Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union (BOSETU) has finally managed to hold a meeting with their parent Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) and the National COVID-19 Task Team with regards to the condition of COVID-19 in schools. This comes after the meeting failed last week.
Through their virtual meeting held early this week, most of the issues they presented and the requests thereof were responded to in a positive manner. However the one that they mainly highlighted of closing schools for two (2) weeks “while protocols are being intensified in schools and the health authorities try to arrest the surge.” have been disapproved by MoBE on the grounds that “there is need to further observe the situation while the schools remain open.”
On the contrary, other concerns that the educators trade unions put forward were met with warm hands. As a result it was agreed that: teachers waiting for their Covid-19 test results and are close contacts should remain home until results are released; In cases where a school or part of the school is turned into quarantine / isolation centers, teachers would not be used to take care of the quarantined / isolated students; teachers to be provided with surgical masks.
Meanwhile, in their joint communique, the two secretaries of the educators trade unions; BTU’s Agang Gabana and BOSETU’s Tabokani Nicholas Rari have encouraged their members to “resist entering work environments where they are glaring instances of non – compliance to COVID – 19 protocols, in an institution, that could jeopardize their health.”
