SNAT TELLS MINISTER: OVER 200 TEACHERS WORKING AS VOLUNTEERS

MANZINI – There is over 200 teachers working as volunteers.

These are not to be confused with temporary teachers who normally do get paid. Volunteer teachers are not on a payroll. Mbongwa Dlamini, the President of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT revealed this. He was speaking during the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Schools Teachers’ Day Celebration held at the Hillside High School in Manzini yesterday. Also in attendance at the event was the Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo, whom the teachers have nicknamed ‘Handsome’.

Celebrated

The day almost coincided with the World Teachers’ Day commemoration, which is celebrated every year on October 5. During the event, retired teachers were also awarded with certificates and some gifts, presented by Minister Nxumalo. Dlamini said the organisation had noticed that there was a certain group of teachers who wanted to join the organisation yet when they were asked to produce a pay slip, they only showed up with the E50 joining fee. He said this is because these teachers did not have any salary as they were volunteers.
The president asked the Ministry of Education and Training through the minister to prioritise these teachers when doing the hiring process. He said these teachers want to join SNAT because they need to make use of the services.

He said these teachers were volunteering because they hoped that they could also be hired. “I also volunteered,” he said. He said such teachers arrive at the schools to do teaching practice, but that when this expires, the teachers continue to volunteer. Dlamini said the problem was such teachers volunteered for over two years only to be informed that another teacher had been hired in their place. Dlamini also said the definition of ‘school’ should be revised. He said this should be done in such a way that schools that did not have teachers’ houses or good toilets should not be classified as schools.

He then reminded the PM that there were teachers who were referring to him as ‘Handsome’ and that this was a nickname he had been given. Dlamini said the teachers gave the minister this name because he was doing ‘good work’. However, he told the minister that the name ‘Handsome’ will last as long as he continued to do good for the teachers. A voice among the teachers shouted, “waphuma endleleni woe unto you”. Dlamini then said if the minister stops doing good for the teachers, he could lose the nickname they had given him.  The president further used the opportunity to ask the minister that teachers be paid according to their designations. He said if someone was referred to as a senior teacher, that person should be paid the appropriate salary for it.

Exploited

Dlamini said such teachers are currently being exploited because they are doing more than what they are paid for. “If he is a senior teacher, this should show in his salary,” he said.
Further, Dlamini highlighted the plight of teachers, adding that their job is highly stressful. He said this is why recently, a publication reported that there were many teachers booked at the Manzini Psychiatric Centre. He said sometimes teachers were faced with tough situations such as finding children, who did not have proper uniforms or clothes to keep warm.
Dlamini said teachers often ended up using their money to buy uniforms for such children.

“That can be heartbreaking for a teacher,” he stated. Noteworthy, AME has a presence in 33 communities and 12 schools in total. During his address Minister Nxumalo said teachers should not be sidelined when doing recruitments. He said this could help solve the situation, where volunteer teachers were not prioritised when being hired. “As long as they are qualified, we can consider them,” he said.

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