Madam,
Allow me space in your highly esteemed newspaper to support the powerful letter entitled ‘Flawed logic of teacher progression’ published on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, from Concerned Citizen.
The original letter rightly highlights unfairness, demoralisation and fiscal illogic. However, the situation is worse than described. Here are five additional, compelling reasons for immediate reform.
1. The current policy actively incentivises mediocrity and punishes ambition
What message are we sending to young teachers? That sacrificing weekends, holidays and family time to earn a Degree yields no tangible reward. A rational teacher will, therefore, conclude: Do the minimum, stay comfortable at C3 and avoid the expense and effort of selfimprovement. The system has created a perverse incentive structure where laziness is indirectly rewarded and ambition is penalised. No serious education system can survive such a dynamic.
2. This practice likely violates the constitutional right to fair and non-discriminatory labour practices
Eswatini’s Constitution and public service codes espouse equal treatment and merit-ased progression. When a teacher with a Degree and 10 years of experience is denied a C5 post in favour of a fresh graduate with zero classroom exposure, that is not meritocracy; it is institutional discrimination based on arbitrary entry qualifications rather than current competence.
3. Regional comparison is damning: Eswatini is an outlier
In South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, public service frameworks explicitly provide for qualificationbased salary notching and accelerated progression for serving educators who upgrade. Teachers in those countries do not wait years to see their Degrees recognised. Eswatini risks becoming a feeder of talent to these neighbours. Already, qualified teachers are quietly exploring opportunities across the border. The brain drain has begun and this policy is a primary push factor.
4. The psychological toll on learners is real and measurable
A demoralised, resentful teacher does not suddenly become an inspiring classroom presence. Research consistently shows that teacher morale directly correlates with learner outcomes. When an experienced, qualified teacher watches an inexperienced outsider walk into a C5 post at their own school, bitterness replaces passion. Lesson preparation suffers; extracurricular commitment wanes; the ultimate victims are Eswatini’s children. This is not a payroll issue: It is a child protection and educational quality crisis.
5. The TSC’s inaction constitutes a breach of its own founding mandate
The Teaching Service Commission was established to ensure professional growth, fair treatment and optimal deployment of teaching talent. By allowing upgraded teachers to languish indefinitely at C3, the TSC has abandoned its duty. The Chairman, Dr Amos Mahlalela (a PhD holder himself), should be the loudest advocate for recognising academic progression. His silence is deafening. If the TSC will not protect teachers who invest in themselves, then what purpose does it serve?
Finally, let us address a hidden cost the original letter only touched on: The administrative burden of perpetual recruitment. Every time a C5 post is filled by a fresh graduate rather than an upgraded internal candidate, government incurs months of reduced productivity. Upgrading a serving teacher costs nothing by comparison. The Ministry of Finance should demand this reform on fiscal grounds alone.
The path forward is clear. The TSC must, within 90 days, publish a binding policy that includes two provisions. First, automatically place Degree-upgraded teachers on a promotion shortlist for the next available C5 post at their school or circuit. Second, create an appeals mechanism for teachers who have been unfairly overlooked.
To do less is to declare that Eswatini does not value its own educators. And a nation that does not value its teachers has already decided its children do not deserve a future.
Yours in frustrated hope
Here are five additional, compelling reasons for immediate reform.
