THE ministry of education has resolved to facilitate a workshop for the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) and the headteachers association to educate them about the IGCSE programme.

The two parties have resolved to first meet the minister at the end of the month.

SNAT General Secretary Dominic Nxumalo said the said meeting would be held on the 31st at a venue yet to be confirmed but might be at the ministry premises.

He added that they felt the said workshop (proposed by the ministry) would not help them in anyway because the ministry did not have a good and qualified facilitator who understands the programme well.

Nxumalo further revealed that they were offended by senior inspector of secondary schools Bethwell Ndlovu’s statement that they (SNAT) were in the dark in as far as the programme was concerned.

“I am not sure if Ndlovu understands very well that we are talking about a foreign programme that was imposed not only on us teachers but even to the learners. We were offended by his statement and will also inform the minister in the meeting and we so much hope that he will understand, unlike Ndlovu.

"As teachers, we are fully prepared to collaborate with the ministry in coming up with a locally produced programme that would be understood and appreciated by everyone. We are so worried that the education of children is compromised by this programme and the parents are greatly affected,” he said.

SNAT previously lamented that the programme was too expensive for the parents and was difficult for the teachers to facilitate because they were forced to adopt it.

However, Ndlovu dismissed the claims, saying the teachers were involved in a number of workshops at which they were made familiar about the programme.