MBABANE:Eswatini is facing an education crisis amid an escalating number of temporary teachers whose contracts are yet to be renewed by the Government.
Reached for comments by this Swaziland News on Tuesday,Lot Vilakati, the Secretary General(SG) of the Swaziland National Association(SNAT) confirmed that,contracts are yet to be released this week adding that, as an organization representing teachers, they were collecting data of vacancies that were not filled since 2018.
“Contracts are still yet to be released this week,and we are as from today collecting data about the vacancies that were not filled since 2018”, said the Secretary General of the eSwatini teachers union.
A questionnaire was sent to Bhekithemba Gama,the Principal Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training,however, he had not responded at the time of compiling this report.
It has been disclosed that apart from the shortage of teachers, some schools opened without working equipment amid Government delay to pay for school fees under the Free Primary Education(FPE).
Sibongile Mazibuko,the President of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress(NNLC),a former Deputy Headteacher told this publication that,the Government “does not place any value” on education or anything that will improve the lives of emaSwati.
“This Government does not place any value to education or anything that will improve the lives of emaSwati ,the reason is that education liberates the mind of a person who will then demand their rights and free themselves from the jaws of oppression and poverty which is the main tool of oppression used by Tinkhundla to suppress emaSwati,”said the NNLC President when speaking to editor Zweli Martin Dlamini.
SNAT logo.