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Teachers vacancies must be filled for success in 2015

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Dear MyPE

There are still 5 103 vacancies in schools in the Eastern Cape, of which 1 465 are in secondary schools.  Teacher vacancies in the province must be filled to ensure a successful academic year in 2015.

The DA commends the provincial Department of Education for extending the contracts of 566 temporary educators until 31 March 2015.  We demand that those temporary teachers who qualify and who meet the conditions of the vacant post that they are currently in, be permanently appointment without delay.

The million dollar question is how the department is going to fill the 5 103 vacancies after they have utilised the services of some of the 566 temporary teachers and, to lesser extent, excess teachers.The DA believes that the department should appoint Funsa Lushaka bursary holders who have completed their studies as a matter of urgency.  Bursary holders should enquire from their district offices whether their names are on the lists for appointments.

We also have 6 453 excess teachers, in addition to staff establishments.   Of this total there are 1 815 additional teachers in secondary schools.

It is quite clear that these additional teachers cannot be suitably placed in the existing vacancies and therefore the reason why they are still at schools where they were appointed.

The department needs to explain how it will resolve the issue of redeployment of excess teachers.  Are we as the school-community going to be happy with double parking, where two teachers are being paid for the same post?

I will be asking parliamentary question to the MEC for Education, Mandla Makupula, as to what the department plans to do with excess teachers that cannot be appropriately placed in substantive vacant posts and how their services can be utilised.

We call upon school principals to identify suitable temporary teachers who qualify and to provide district offices with the necessary completed documents in order to have these teachers permanently appointed.

It seems that the DA’s wish for a teacher to be in every classroom is not going to materialise if one considers the 5 1 03 vacancies within our schools.

However, we wish all teachers and learners all the best for the new school year which starts tomorrow. (subs:  Wed, 21 Jan).

Regards

Edmund van Vuuren

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Port Elizabethan

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