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WEDNESDAY July 9, 2014 |0 041 503 6111 | Email express@media24.com | peexpress.mobi | www.peexpress.co.za
EDITOR: BETTIE GILIOMEE
OVER 90% OF NORTHERN AREAS SCHOOLS HAVE STAFF SHORTAGES
Teacher crisis continues I
LIZEKA TANDWA
T’S almost the beginning of the third term but over 90% of schools in the northern suburbs still have teacher shortages with no word from the Eastern Cape Department of Education on resolving the problem.
According to a report by the Department of Education in June 2014, over 19 schools are without teachers in critical posts. These include Afrikaans medium, Maths, Maths Literacy, Physical Science and Accounting. Over 17 000 pupils are affected in the PE district alone. The document also reveals that 3659 educator posts still need to be filled in the province. Another challenge is that of 235 unqualified teachers in the Eastern Cape. DA MPL and Education Spokesperson, Edmund van Vuuren, said that most of the Port Elizabeth schools that have been affected by vacant posts and the redeployment of teachers are in the northern suburbs with 90% of the schools experiencing teacher shortages. Van Vuuren said since many of the schools in the northern suburbs are Afrikaans schools, it has been a difficult task to find teachers to be placed in the area. “We have a huge problem with crowded classes in the northern areas. Most of our teachers have had to combine classes and in most schools we have found that there is a shortage due to six or seven critical subject posts not being filled,” said Van Vuuren. Van Vuuren said he had consulted the provincial MEC of Education, Mandla Makupula, on whether his office had taken steps on filling substantive vacant posts in the province and utilising the services of excess and displaced teachers. Makhapula replied in a document obtained by the PE Express that his office had permanently employed 1062 temporary teachers since December 2013 and placed 1907 of excess teachers to fill in the substantive posts. “These numbers are not enough and signify only a fraction of what is needed to fill the gaps in schools.” said Van Vuuren. According to him these placements are in other areas and have no impact on the problems faced
in local Afrikaans schools. “There are no progressive solutions and decision making by the department. The most that they have done, from of what I have heard, is that the department has requested funding from treasury to finance the post provisions,” he added.
“It’s been seven years that our school has been facing the problem of vacant posts. We are in the situation where we have to combine classes because the department refuses to send us teachers,” said Williams.
Continued on page 2
Excitement builds for Great Train Race
The inaugural Nelson Mandela Bay Train Race will set off on July 27. The train race, reintroduced by Zports after an absence of 10 years, will see running teams of seven members taking on a Metro Rail train between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage. Among the teams who have already entered are, from left, Mzwandile Madosi, Ndumiso Oliphant, Sanda Gxamza, Zithobile Mantshiyo, Siyabulela Dzena and Lunga Gashe who are ready to show their mettle against the train. Read more about the train race on page 6. PHOTO: DEON FERREIRA
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One of the schools affected is Gelvandale Primary School, with the principal saying he is now left with no foundation phase teacher for the next term. Principal Pieter Williams said he had been frustrated for years now in dealing with the problems of teacher shortages.
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