AGEING, SICKLY TEACHERS TO BE REDEPLOYED

MANZINI – Ageing teachers and those with underlying sicknesses will work at low risk areas in schools.

This was revealed by the Minister of Education and Training, Lady Mabuza, during a meeting with primary school head teachers, which was held at Prince Mfanyana Hall and Sydney Williams Primary School yesterday. The main aim of the consultative meeting was to get what head teachers needed in order to prepare the primary schools for the proposed reopening, for Grade VII pupils, to be specific.

The minister said as government, they were aware that the elderly and those with underlying sicknesses were at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. However, she said they could not say they should stay at home or go on early retirement because that would have financial implications. “What we encourage ageing teachers and those with underlying sicknesses to do, is to open up to their head teachers so that they can be deployed in low risk areas, like supervising in the kitchen, for example,” the minister said.

Plea

She said this after the head teachers had raised a plea that since ageing teachers were at a higher risk of getting gravely ill should they contract the virus, government should consider allowing them to take an early retirement. It is worth noting that this was also proposed by public sector associations (PSAs) to government at the joint negotiation forum (JNF). The minister informed the head teachers that good health was important and without it, their lives would be at risk. In that regard, she emphasised that health came first. She said they should spread this gospel even in their communities because if these areas were not safe, it would mean their lives would be in danger. She asked the head teachers to always keep the ministry updated on any challenges they would face when preparing for the reopening of primary schools and when teaching and learning continues.

Meanwhile, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General, Sikelela Dlamini, said the issue of redeploying teachers was ludicrous. As an organisation, he said they had always maintained that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers with underlying medical conditions and comorbidities should be allowed to retire on medical grounds.

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