By Frederick Philander
WINDHOEK
Both national teachers unions last week accused officials in the Ministry of Education of delaying tactics and insensitivity towards the professional needs of Namibian teachers.
The National Teachers Union of Namibia (NANTU) and the Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) appeared before a select Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts to air their views on recommendations of a financial report by the Auditor General.
“Teachers are facing many delays with the payment of salaries and S&T monies when attending official workshops. It is a serious problem. Sometimes teachers only get paid three to four months after they have attended such workshops. We do not know what the reasons are for such delays,” said the Secretary General of NANTU, Basilius Haingura, in wrapping up his union’s arguments just before TUN took the floor.
“The problems with the timely payment of teachers’ salaries from head office continue despite recommendations by the Auditor General. In fact, my union proposes that the salary payments of teachers be decentralized to the education regions,” the President of TUN, Gert Jansen, told the committee.
The union also complained about the long delays in the appointment of teachers, principals and administrative staff members at government schools.
“With the exception of the regional offices of the Karas and Hardap regions, most others do a very good job with the appointment of teachers and other staff.
Some teachers have to wait up to a year, long past probation periods, before they are informed about appointments. Teachers have become innocent victims of the administrative system in the Ministry of Education,” said the professional development officer of TUN, Mahongoro Kavihua.
According to him there exists a great measure of reluctance among ministerial officials regarding salary payments.
“We have become accustomed to a defensive attitude of these officials, they in most cases not responding to salary and other queries by teachers.
“This is indicative of the insensitivity of these officials towards teachers. In some cases these officials through their delaying tactics cause schools to violate the education law of the country,” said Kavihua.
He also accused officials of politically labelling teachers in defence of the indefensible when it comes to teacher problems.
Jansen accused ministerial officials of unprofessional behaviour in some instances.
“Many of them have a don’t-care attitude about the plight of teachers, eating hot chips and speaking on the phone in defiance of teachers inquiring about legitimate problems at ministerial offices.
Some of the officials are too unskilled to be able to deal with professional teachers,” Jansen, who recommended to the standing committee that salary payments be decentralized to the regions, said.
In a written statement to the committee, TUN cited the following ministerial administrative problems teachers are experiencing: delays in confirmation of probation periods, teacher files that get lost, delays in the appointment of cleaners, delays with appointees at schools, incorrect deductions from teachers’ salaries, relief teachers having to wait for long periods before being remunerated and delays in the appointment of acting teachers.