The Ministry of Education and Training has reported on the decisions reached on the teachers’ grievances, during its meeting with teachers unions held from the 18th to the 21st December 2018.

Decisions reached are based on the teachers’ grievances, which include teachers’ salary increase and teachers’ career structure, and the meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Honourable Monyane Moleleki.

Speaking on Monday this week, the Deputy Minister of Education Honourable ‘Maphoka Motoboli, said the three teachers’ unions of the Lesotho Association of Teachers(LAT), Lesotho Teachers Trade Union(LTTU), and the Lesotho Schools Principal Association(LESPA), requested a meeting seeking for the intervention of Honourable Moleleki, pertaining to their grievances against the Ministry of Education and Training.

She said during the meeting it was agreed that the Ministries of Finance, Education and Public Service, should meet and synchronize issues of career structure in line with the Public Sector Modernization Project(PSMP), which is led by Ministries of Finance and Public Service, in order to avoid duplication of efforts by the government.

One other point was the amendment of Education Act in which Honourable Motoboli, indicated that it was resolved that the Minister of Education should liaise with the Attorney General to expedite the issuance of a certificate, so that the bill should be present before a Special Cabinet by January 2019 in preparation for its tabling before parliament.

She said the Minister of Education is further directed to update teachers’ formations on the process being undertaken, until the bill is finally promulgated as soon as possible in 2019.

The report also reflects the Reverting Performance Contract (PC) Principal’s gratuities and teachers arrears, in which it was agreed that a joined committee comprising of the Ministry of Education and teacher unions will be established, so that reports on payments of arrears and gratuities are constantly shared.

In this case Honourable Motoboli pointed out that in the first meeting of the joint committee, officers from pensions – Ministry of Finance shall be invited to shed some light into gratuity issues.

She said thereafter, the committee should then convene with the Deputy Prime Minister for further deliberations on the PC gratuity issues, and that the committee in question will meet once every two weeks or as many as it will be agreed from time to time.

Honourabe Motoboli further stated that by the 6th January 2019, all reverting principals who request to be given advance against gratuity, should have signed and submitted forms for their request.  

She also said it was agreed that for all teachers who acquired higher qualifications before June 2016, the ministry will continue to promote and or normalize their appointments accordingly.

On the issue of unqualified teachers Honourable Motoboli expressed that the Ministry of Education is currently collecting dat oertaining to the number, calibre and qualifications of unqualified teachers currently in service.

She said once data collection is completed, consultations with relevant stakeholders will be undertaken before the government makes appropriate decisions on the way forward.Honourable Motoboli further touched on the implementation of the curriculum in which she said the dissemination strategy will be disseminated during the month of January 2019 and that the decision of volunteerism in schools will be reviewed.

The other point reflected in the report is the utility grant in which Honourable Motoboli stated that it was resolved that evidence of the schools where instructions for payment of utility grant was made, it will be presented to the unions as soon as possible.

According to the report it was resolved that there shall be a joint press conference on the 31st December 2018, between the Ministry of Education and Training and all teachers unions with regard to the decisions reached and the way forward, but the two parties held their press conference separately.