Housing issues affecting teachers

National

By REBECCA KUKU
NATIONAL Capital District’s education division executive officer Simon Temane wants authorities to make housing part of   teachers’ employment condition.
Temane said the majority of teaching positions in the National Capital District came without housing.
“Housing issues faced by teachers are affecting the quality of learning for students,” Temane claimed.
“Teachers with no houses are coming in late to work and leaving early to get back home as they rent outside their schools.”
Temane said that high rental costs were also taking a toll on teachers who were given only K6 housing allowance.
“That is just ridiculous, who rents a place for K6? The lowest rent people pay in the suburbs is K300 for just one room,” Temane said. “So now you have three families renting one three-bedroom house with each family living in one room.”
He said that was the reality of living in the National Capital District, not only for teachers but for all other public servants and city residents.
“Teachers are often under pressure to provide good homes for their families and getting to and from their schools.
“This affects the students, our children and the future leaders of this country.”
Temane said that building classrooms and opening new schools were well and good but what good would those classrooms and schools do for the students if there were no teachers.
“If we provide housing for teachers, they would be free to give their best to our children’s education,” he said.