Teachers at private schools cry foul

MAMELLO SEBATANE

Maseru – As the nation continues to count the economic costs of Covid-19 lockdowns, teachers at private schools in Lesotho continue to struggle for survival as most of the schools are solely dependent on school fees to pay staff and other operational costs.

One teacher who asked to remain anonymous said it is difficult for private teachers to make ends meet because when there is no school, it automatically means there are no salaries for them.

“Covid-19 has changed our lives badly. It is close to a year now without any income since we are not working and now we are unable to provide for our families as a result,” she said.

Asked if they have approached the government to intervene, she said there is no representative body for teachers at private schools that can approach government on their behalf, adding that attempts to establish such a body had failed in the past.

However, she said they had hoped the government would assist them since some sectors had been supported since the outbreak of the virus. 

“Factory works, street vendors and other business people were offered relief funds because they were badly impacted by Covid-19, but not teachers working at private schools,” she said explaining they would appreciate any effort from the government.