Eises not happy about teachers’ ‘side hustles’

The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) director in the Oshikoto Region, Aletta Eises is concerned about the rising trend of teachers conducting their personal business during school hours.

Eises during the Oshikoto regional life skills workshop in Omuthiya on Monday said that in most cases, teachers spend school time on their social media platforms marketing their side hustles.

She said teachers have minimal time for investing in learners and education because they spend most of their time on side hustles.

“Our learners are seeing teachers selling perfume on school grounds while they are supposed to act as role models to these young people,” said Eises.

She said if teachers are more focused on side hustles this might affect them in focusing on education, which will also interfere with learners’ performances.

Eises said teachers should follow the regulations and policies that are in place and only focus on teaching and learning on school grounds so that they can invest in the learners of Oshikoto and the country at large.

“It is very clear in our policy document that any remunerative work outside public service must be recorded and approved by the Office of the Prime Minister. I am not against side hustles but side hustles should not intervene with MoEAC working time, as teachers have to teach, mark, reinforce what they are teaching, do assessment and record them,” she said.

The workshop facilitator, Paulina Gabriel, said they are implementing a Life Skills curriculum from Grade 4 to 7 and want to remind teachers of the importance of life skills as a subject.

“We are sitting with a lot of learners who have behavioural difficulties, which is a main topic in life skills. Schools do not cover it properly, which ends up causing problems on school grounds,” said Gabriel.

(NAMPA)
TG/PS/AS
(NAMPA)