It's just over a week into the new school year and about 56,000 teachers in the province aligned to the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union are on a go-slow protest, which started on Monday in Nelson Mandela Bay area.
It's just over a week into the new school year and about 56,000 teachers in the province aligned to the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union are on a go-slow protest, which started on Monday in Nelson Mandela Bay area.
Teaching only happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while on other days teachers go to union meetings. Sadtu is unhappy about post provisioning and the employment of temporary teachers and increasingly unhappy with provincial education boss Modidima Mannya.
In response to the go-slow protest DA Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, Edmund van Vuuren issued a press statement revealing that more than 1 500 of 2 103 temporary educators have, as an interim measure, been appointed in substantive vacant posts and that this will relieve the pressure on those schools with a dire shortage of teachers responsible for teaching critical subjects, such as Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting and English.
"We appeal to the department to have the outstanding 603 temporary positions filled as a matter of urgency. However, it is with regret that teachers that are in excess are not complying with re-assignment letters issued to them, but have instead decided to remain at their old schools where their services as per the post provisioning are not required. They are robbing the receiving schools of much-needed human resources.
urthermore, Sadtu has in its misplaced wisdom decided to embark on a go-slow." said van Vuuren
Van Vuuren explained that the measures applied are not permanent and will change. The substantive vacant posts at the schools will be filled by temporary teachers for 60 days, until such time that a permanent solution is found.
He said after the 60 days of employment these posts may be filled by permanent teachers that are in excess, or these temporary teachers may receive confirmation of permanent appointment if no suitable permanent teacher in excess can be found, or the temporary teacher may be reassigned to another school if the post is filled through redeployment.
Currently van Vuuren said the Grahamstown district has124 substantive vacancies and 90 additional teachers. The Grahamstown district was very proactive and has applied for temporary teachers to be retained in posts where additional teachers do not fit the profile of the vacancies. Some of these temporary teachers are teaching critical subjects, such as Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Sciences, Accounting and English and and additional teachers to be redeployed may not meet the curriculum needs of schools, therefore the Grahamstown district has requested that temporary teachers in critical subjects be retained.
He also said assumption of duty forms have been completed for all temporary teachers to be retained. The district has also applied for new temporary teachers, that were not in the system, to replace those temporary teachers that have left, and also to fill the void that cannot be occupied by additional teachers, for lack of appropriate qualifications.
Grahamstown still faces the fact that teachers in critical subjects are still needed in schools where no vacancies exist. This is a challenge in that the the staff establishment of certain schools have been populated, whilst there are certain critical subjects not taught.
