MBABANE- Teachers at remote schools sometimes walk for more than two hours to reach work, while others struggle with unsafe drinking water, inadequate teaching materials and poor accommodation.
These challenges emerged during a joint schools tour by the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), the Government Negotiations Team (GNT) Secretariat and representatives of the Hhohho Regional Education Office (REO), led by SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati.
The visit to Mphumakudze Primary School kaPhunga, Nain Primary School and kaPhunga SDA High School forms part of efforts to gather evidence on conditions facing teachers in rural areas as negotiations over a proposed allowance continue.
At Mphumakudze Primary School, teacher Sipho Mkhabela said unreliable transport often left educators with no option but to walk for extended periods to reach the school. He said the school also lacked adequate teaching aids, particularly for subjects such as Arts, which require practical materials. “School management tries to provide but it is not enough,” Mkhabela said.
The school has an enrolment of about 150 pupils and six teachers, in addition to the headteacher. Despite the limited resources and staff complement, it is expected to perform like other schools.
Mkhabela said the cost of electricity made it difficult for the school to access and maintain a reliable supply. The staff accommodation was also below standard, while two members of staff were employed on contract.
The teachers further highlighted poor network coverage in the area, which makes communication difficult. The delegation also reportedly encountered dogs barking at members of the team during the visit.
Water remains another challenge at Mphumakudze Primary School, where teachers have resorted to harvesting rainwater to supplement their needs. However, they said they struggled to filter, test and purify the harvested water adequately, raising concerns about its safety for consumption. “We harvest the water but we find it hard to filter, test and purify the water. We find it hard to purify the water as we sometimes use disinfectant which we doubt is enough to clean the water. We cannot maintain the water to a right state,” one of the teachers said.
The concerns point to the difficulties faced by rural schools in providing basic services while operating with limited resources.
At Nain Primary School, teachers also shared the challenges they face in carrying out their duties. At kaPhunga SDA High School, educators highlighted the high cost of accommodation, unreliable transport and water shortages in the surrounding community.
One teacher said they paid substantial amounts to rent houses in the community, where access to water was also a problem. The teacher further raised concerns about security, saying houses were sometimes broken into while occupants were away for the weekend. “You will be gone for a weekend and when you come back you find that the house you rent was broken into by thugs,” the teacher said.
During the tour of the school grounds, the delegation found a makeshift shack being used as a kitchen where food for pupils is prepared.
The latest visit follows an earlier tour of rural schools in northern Hhohho about two weeks ago, when the same stakeholders inspected Lufafa Primary School, Gobolondlo Primary School and Sobokazana High School.
That visit exposed challenges including damaged classrooms, makeshift staff facilities and difficult access routes, adding to the evidence being gathered to determine which schools could qualify for the proposed hardship allowance.
The exercise is linked to the 2025 Salary Review Exercise, which recommended a five per cent hardship allowance for teachers stationed in designated rural areas where basic amenities such as accommodation, transport, water, electricity and sanitary facilities are not readily available.
However, payment of the allowance remains subject to the identification of eligible positions and duty stations. During the previous tour, SNAT Secretary General Lot Vilakati said the inspections were intended to establish the realities faced by teachers before negotiations over the allowance continued.
He said the exercise would extend beyond Hhohho, with the next phase expected to take the team to Gege in the Shiselweni Region. “Upon completion of these tours, we are hopeful that the discussions we will have will yield positive results for the educators in the country who need this allowance,” Vilakati said.
He also emphasised that the process should ensure fairness in identifying qualifying schools. “There will be no special treatment or preference. Everyone who deserves it will get the allowance,” he said.
The inspections are expected to help the negotiating parties establish the extent of the challenges faced by teachers in remote areas before further discussions on the proposed allowance.
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