The Eastern Cape High Court has issued an order to the Eastern Cape Department of Education to immediately fill 6 249 vacant temporary teaching posts.
Judge Gloria Mjali also granted a counter-application from three schools in which the department was ordered to immediately fill the temporary posts at PJ Olivier in Grahamstown, as well as Bergsig School in Uitenhage and Settlers Park Primary School in Port Elizabeth.
However, when Grocott's Mail spoke to the principal of PJ Olivier, Pieter Snyders, he pointed out that the temporary staffing positions had already been filled.
The Eastern Cape High Court has issued an order to the Eastern Cape Department of Education to immediately fill 6 249 vacant temporary teaching posts.
Judge Gloria Mjali also granted a counter-application from three schools in which the department was ordered to immediately fill the temporary posts at PJ Olivier in Grahamstown, as well as Bergsig School in Uitenhage and Settlers Park Primary School in Port Elizabeth.
However, when Grocott's Mail spoke to the principal of PJ Olivier, Pieter Snyders, he pointed out that the temporary staffing positions had already been filled.
All 16 positions were filled with post level one teachers; however, Snyders was not given the promised two heads of department and one deputy principal as per the 2011 staffing requirements. He said that the department has not given him any explanation as to why he has no heads of department or deputy principal.
The 16 posts have been temporarily filled from the period starting 10 August, until 31 December this year. The department is set to reduce the number of posts to 13 post-level one teachers and one principal next year. But what is of concern for Snyders and the school is that the learner-teacher ratio is set to increase in 2012. "We are going to exceed 400 pupils next year – that is the highest number we have had in 12 years," said Snyders.
According to the federation of Schools Governing Bodies and the South African Teachers Union only 2 000 temporary teaching posts had been filled since the beginning of the year. The department has also said that filling the additional 6 249 posts between August and December of this year will cost them an approximate R712 million, which is money they simply don't have.
