MBABANE – Soon, pupils across Eswatini may no longer all report for class at the same early hour.
The Ministry of Education and Training is preparing to test a shift-based learning system aimed at easing overcrowding and expanding access to schooling. The proposed model, which has been used for decades in several countries, would see learners attending the same school in different time blocks. Some in the morning while others in the afternoon, allowing existing infrastructure to accommodate more children. Noteworthy, Eswatini has one of Africa’s highest literacy rates at 85 per cent.
Under the current system, most schools in the kingdom operate on a single daily timetable, with pupils arriving in the morning and knocking off at the same time in the afternoon. Once lessons are completed, schools close for the day and classes resume the following morning. The shift system would change this routine fundamentally. Instead of all pupils learning at once, one group would attend classes in the morning, for example from 7am to 11am, while another group would arrive later, from around 11:30am to 3:30pm.
The Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training, Nanikie Mnisi, has confirmed that the ministry is moving towards piloting this approach. She said the shift system would be particularly useful in schools where physical space is already stretched to capacity. Even in institutions that appear to have adequate facilities, she added, running classes in shifts would make it possible to enrol more pupils. This will be possible without the need to construct new classrooms.
“This is one of the options we are looking at to ensure that more children have access to education, especially in areas where schools are already full,” Mnisi said. She explained that the ministry was studying experiences from other countries, where shift learning has been successfully implemented, including Mozambique and Zambia. According to the PS, these countries offer useful benchmarking opportunities because they face similar challenges of growing pupil numbers and limited infrastructure.
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… SNAT okays initiative but with conditions
MBABANE – Teachers, through their representative body, have also weighed in on the proposal.
The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) said it supports the idea in principle, but stressed that its success would depend on how it is implemented. The union’s Secretary General, Lot Vilakati, described the move as ‘good news’ provided that it comes with adequate planning and resources.
Vilakati said the shift system could help address the problem of pupils being turned away from popular schools. He cited St Mark’s High School as an example of an institution that attracts large numbers of applicants every year. “Once such a school is full, some children do not get a place at all,” he said. “A shift system can help accommodate more learners instead of overcrowding classrooms.”
He added that overcrowding remains a serious concern, with some classrooms reportedly hosting more than 80 pupils. Such conditions, he said, are not conducive to effective teaching and learning. “If shifts are introduced properly, they can reduce overcrowding and improve the learning environment,” Vilakati said. “For us as teachers, it also means that more children will now be enrolled into school.”
However, the union has cautioned that shift learning should not be implemented at the expense of teachers’ welfare. Vilakati said operating morning and afternoon sessions would inevitably require more teaching staff. “It may not be easy for all teachers to work extended hours,” he said. “This means the government will have to employ more teachers, which is actually good for the welfare of our members.”
He emphasised that without additional recruitment, the shift system could place undue strain on existing teachers. SNAT has, therefore, called on the ministry to ensure that staffing levels, remuneration and working conditions are carefully considered before the model is rolled out on a wider scale.
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