Declining academic performance in basic education caused by lack of educational standards for entry and acceptable standard of professional competence and lack of a Code of Conduct for teachers could become history with the introduction of the proposed Botswana Teaching Professionals' Council (BTPC). The Ministry of Basic Education will present a Bill to the July session of Parliament that will pave the way for the establishment of BTPC, a professional regulatory body that monitors the teaching profession. The council will operate in a similar manner as the Law Society of Botswana and the Botswana Health Professionals Council. Its main functions will be to regulate the teaching profession, maintain professional and ethical standards including teaching knowledge, skills and competence, license teachers, establish, publish, review and maintain a code of ethics for teachers, and review as well as advise on professional standards for teachers. Although the ministry says it has conducted extensive consultations, teacher trade unions complain that their submissions and contribution to the proposal have been ignored all together. Long before it comes to fruition the proposal for a Teaching Professionals' Council has been heavily criticised by teacher trade unions, citing serious lapses and omissions in the proposal. In a response…
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