Teacher registration protects learners.

More than 21 000 teaching professionals have applied for registration and licensing with the Botswana Teaching Professionals Council (BOTEPCO), signalling growing momentum towards the professionalisation and regulation of the teaching profession

Speaking to BOPA recently, BOTEPCO founding Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Raphael Dingalo, said more than 11 000 applications had already been processed, endorsed and licensed, while over 4 000 had been approved pending payment of registration fees

He said more than 6,000 applications were still awaiting processing

'Our mandate, in a nutshell, is to professionalise teaching through registration and licensing, and so far we have made strides through the numbers we have shared,' he said

Dr Dingalo said registration was important in modern society as traditional instructional approaches alone were no longer sufficient to prepare learners for unpredictable and rapidly changing environments

'Our mandate is to upgrade the profession into a respected, fully regulated career

Therefore, legitimising the profession will ensure that teaching professionals are held to high ethical standards, ultimately protecting students from abuse, discrimination and academic neglect,' he said

Dr Dingalo said registration and licensing would also ensure compliance with prescribed professional standards through a strict ethical framework and mandatory background checks

He said such measures would help maintain high educational standards across both public and private schools and promote consistency in the delivery of education

'Mandatory vetting will ensure background checks and formal registration are performed to filter out individuals with misconduct histories before they enter the classroom, while the code of ethics will ensure that teachers adhere to conduct that regulates inappropriate physical, emotional or digital relationships with students,' he said

Dr Dingalo said registration would also protect learners from academic neglect by encouraging educators to embrace evidence based teaching practices and verified, data-driven instructional methods

He further said continuous professional development, as mandated by BOTEPCO, would ensure that teachers remained adaptable and equipped with current skills

Such training, he said, would include modern educational technologies and approaches

Meanwhile, BOTEPCO is conducting a nationwide outreach campaign in the Central, Kweneng and North East districts to roll out the Professional Teaching Standards and Teacher Code of Ethics

The council is targeting at least 8 000 new teacher registrations through the campaign

'We will capitalise on the roadshow to supplement our existing registration platforms because they provide a more impactful and interactive face-to-face engagement,' said Dr Dingalo

He said the initiative ultimately sought to strengthen public confidence in the teaching profession while placing the welfare and safety of learners at the centre of professional practice.