‘EDUCATION HAS BEEN POLITICISED’

EZULWINI – ‘Education has become a political football.’This was said by Alison Papenfus, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Placement Education, an agency that deals with the placement of teachers in schools.

“Because it has become a political football, now the important work of recognising teachers needs to be done by the teachers themselves,” Papenfus said. Papenfus said this during the Swaziland Heroes in Education Awards ceremony, which was held at Sibane Hotel on Saturday night.

Excellence

During the event, nine educators and former educators were awarded for their excellence in education. The awardees included former principal secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Pat Muir, former SNAT president and former Sibusisweni High School head teacher Meshack ‘Kati’ Masuku, Enjabulweni Principal Kathy Thompson and U-Tech Principal Mavela Shongwe.

Others are former Mnjoli High School head teacher and MITC Principal France Tebetebe Mavuso, former Our Lady of Sorrow head teacher Jerome Antony Vermaak, Premier Independent Primary School Head teacher Scholastic Martine Ndihokubwayo, former Shewula High School head teacher Nomsa Gule and former Duze High School head teacher Mavis Dlamini.

Loaded

Papenfus said head teachers were loaded with duties and often recognising excellent teachers was down on their list. She argued that head teachers were the ones who had to recognise excellent teachers. She said what was top of the list was filling in papers for the Ministry of Education, checking if examination scores were correct and parents’ meetings, among other things.

Papenfus said children were not the same as they used to be. She said teachers spent most of their time with pupils and knew what motivated them. She said some pupils thought like millennial children, and all they wanted was freedom and flexibility. She said the upcoming generation wanted stability and certainty. The guest speaker said teachers needed to take back the assessment of their colleagues.

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