AUDIT UNCOVERS ROT IN PROMOTION OF TEACHERS

MBABANE - Close to 100 appointments of head teachers and deputies were made without the advertising of vacant posts in the financial year 2020/21. This is one of many irregularities that happened within the country’s education sector and were uncovered through a human resource audit conducted by the Eswatini Internal Audit Office and completed in the Ministry of Education and Training the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

The audit was meant to ascertain whether experienced and qualified teachers were appointed in the financial years 2020 and 2021. It came about following a finding made by the Auditor General, Timothy Matsebula, who uncovered that there was an over expenditure of E376 301 301.63 on the recurrent vote of the ministry for that particular financial period. When the AG noted the anomaly, the controlling officer (principal secretary) at the time had stated that the Internal Audit Department conducted an audit of the operations of the TSC for the year ending March 31, 2022 and that a report was on its way.

Following persuasion by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the report has recently been made available. One of the findings made in the report was that vacant administrative positions were filled without advertising the posts. The finding was that 56 appointments of head teachers and 39 of deputy head teachers were made during the financial year 2020/21 without advertising the vacant posts. According to the report, there was only one advert for a deputy head teacher dated March 3, 2020 for waivers 8393 and 9140. The report contains a list of the posts that were filled without issuing advertisements.

On the same issue, the report mentioned that an advert dated November 4, 2021 did not contain all the relevant information needed by the applicants such as where the application forms were to be obtained and attachments, including certified copies of academic certificates resulting in others failing to comply with the job requirements and  losing the appointments.In terms of risks, the auditors cited the unfair appointment of administrators resulting in being the most qualified teachers not appointed hence losing out.

Another risk cited by the auditors was that without advertising the posts the criteria used in the recruitment of administrators could not be known, which had the potential of leading to the employment of unqualified and experienced teachers and that could negatively affect the administration of schools.Also, the auditors said a lack of transparency in the recruitment of head teachers and deputy head teachers, which may lead to nepotism and corruption was another risk.

In terms of root causes, the audit found that the shortlisting of candidates for administrative positions in mission schools was done by the school’s manager or grantee. Also cited as a root cause was the need to fill in administrative vacancies urgently, hence the TSC decided to appoint teachers who had been shortlisted for other schools. The audit also found that a lack of proper planning by the commission for the filling of administrative vacancies in schools was another cause.

Media

In terms of recommendations, the audit said the executive secretary needed to ensure that the media used when making the advert was effective so that the response in applications could be increased and the poor pool of selection of candidates could be wide. The audit also recommended that the commission needed to ensure that there was proper planning for the filling of administrative vacant posts, especially those which were created by mandatory retirements such that there was enough time to advertise the existing and expected vacancies.

In looking into the finding, the auditors cited the Teaching Service Regulations of 1983 Section 25, Sub-section 1, which states that ‘if a promotional post exists in the teaching service, including that of head teacher and deputy head teacher, the TSC shall advertise the post and invite applications’. The second finding contained in the report was that procedures were not followed when submitting applications. It was stated that an advert dated November 4, 2021 and closing November 10, 2021 for vacant posts of head teachers for both primary and high schools required that applications needed to be hand delivered only to the executive secretary of the TSC. However, the report said the applications’ registration book showed that this was not done by the applicants.

It was said that about 10 applications, according to the report, for the posts of head teachers for both primary and high schools dated November 10, 2021 were submitted by one person who signed on the behalf of the applicants, in as reflected on, application’s record. “This shows that the applications were not hand delivered by the applicants to the executive secretary, as per the instruction in the advert. For the same advert, applications received per school could not be verified since the application’s record book did not state the name of the school where the vacancy existed. A total number of 71 applications were received from 25 vacant positions of head teachers for both primary and high schools,” reads part of the report.

In terms of risks, the report said there could have been missing attachments since there were applications that were not submitted by the applicants which could result in the non-shortlisting of qualifying applicants. Also cited as a risk was lack of transparency in the application process, since the applications received per school could not be confirmed as the record book did not reflect the name of the school, where the vacancy existed. Furthermore, a lack of an audit trail was cited as having posed risk.

It was mentioned that the last advert for the filling of vacancies of head teachers was not in line with the requirements stated in the application form, since the form stated that applications had to be submitted to the regional education officer (REO) yet in the advert it was stated that they should be sent to the executive secretary and there was no mention of attachments. “Applications were not delivered straight to the ministry previously, hence the omission of crucial information in the applications record book,” the report mentioned. Among the recommendations made was that the executive needed to ensure that the information in the application form was not in line with the advert. A third finding contained in the report was that there was shortlisting and interviewing of candidates who did not qualify for administrative appointments.

Stipulates

The auditors cited the Teaching Service Act of 1982, which stipulates that the function of the director is to facilitate the administration and management of the teaching profession. The regulations of the legislation were also cited, specifically Section 24 Sub-section 1, which states that ‘if a promotional post exists within the teaching service, including that of head teacher and deputy, the TSC shall advertise the post and invite applications’. Explaining the finding, the report said applicants for the post of  the head teacher were given inaccurate scores by the shortlisting committee and this was done by rating them based on the information written in the application forms. “The information in the application forms was not verified from the applicants’ personal files by the shortlisting committee.

These candidates were further invited for interviews by the executive secretary yet it was stated clearly in the advert that applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be considered,” it was stated in the report. Also mentioned was that shortlisting score sheets for the vacancies of head teachers from the advert dated November 4, 2021, were presented to the audit team without a shortlisting summary or minute signed by the chairperson of the shortlisting committee (Director of Education), hence the authenticity of the shortlist could be verified.

About 11 candidates, the report stated, were called for interview for the posts of head teachers in six different schools in the administrative posts advertised on November 4, 2021, yet they were not shortlisted for those schools by the shortlisting committee. It was said that the criteria used when selecting the candidates was not clear since the candidates were not rated and their applications were not obtained. In terms of risks, the report said teachers who did not qualify for the administrative position could be called for interview and appointed, resulting in poor administration of schools. “Shortlisting score sheets could be altered since there are no initials. Candidates who applied for the administrative positions and qualified for them might be overlooked which increases the possibility of corruption,” it was mentioned.

When stating the root causes of the irregularity, the report said there was too much reliance on the information written on the applications when evaluating the candidates by the shortlisting committee and that personal profiles were not properly maintained, hence affecting the process. Also cited as a root cause was that for posts which were not advertised, the candidates for interview were taken from those who were shortlisted for other schools but not appointed.

It was said that there were cases where few candidates applied for the vacant position in the school including applicants who did not qualify for the job, hence the shortlist did not make a minimum of three candidates to be presented for interviews. “For mission schools, the shortlisting is done by the school grantee or manager who then submits the list to the commission for interviewing, hence there is lack of transparency in the shortlisting process,” it was mentioned. Among the recommendations made was that the chairperson of the shortlisting committee needed to ensure that the information stated on the application form was verified from the applicant’s personal files before any rating was conducted.

It was also recommended that the chairperson needed to always prepare a summary of the shortlisting in the form of a minute and attach the candidates’ scores with initials on each page. Furthermore, it was recommended that the executive secretary needed to ensure that there was proper maintenance of personal files and transparency in the appointment of teachers to administrative positions.

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