Teachers want clerks to do admin

TEACHERS in the Erongo Region are demanding to be released from administrative work.

This request was discussed during a regional teachers’ conference held at Swakopmund over the weekend.The conference was organised by the Teachers’ Union of Namibia (TUN) and highlighted various issues affecting teachers.The demand for teachers to focus on preparing and presenting lessons – officially known as Preparation, Presentation, Assessment (PPA) – was at the top of the priority list.’The PPA system was forwarded to the Namibia Institute for Educational Development (NIED) as part of the curriculum reform proposal,’ said TUN president Mahongora Kavihuha during the conference. He said teachers’ job descriptions should be updated, and teachers should be exempted from administrative responsibilities.’If administration clerks are appointed, teachers will be able to concentrate on the PPA,’ he stressed. TUN also proposed that housing benefits be added to the salary packages of teachers.Kavihuha added that the union welcomed the initiative made by the Namibian Government regarding the pricing of urban land.’However, politicians talk and talk without meaning, which is pointless. The speeches need to become a reality,’ he said.Furthermore, taxation on bonuses is another cause of concern for teachers. ‘There should be another way by which Government can generate income, than making us poor by paying steep tax rates,’ Kavihuha said. It was also noted that the Education Ministry does not grant maternity leave to teachers who adopt babies. Kavihuha hoped that the proposals be addressed by the end of this year so that by next year, teachers can embark on a ‘new path’. – Nampa