Learners are paying the price of unfilled teacher posts across the Eastern Cape, while the Department of Education (ECDoE) denies that there is a problem, claiming instead that there is a teacher in front of every class.
The ECDoE should tell this to parents across the province who have shut down schools out of sheer frustration because of the severe teacher shortages these schools are experiencing and the impact this has on their children’s education.
While posts are vacant, learners are robbed of their constitutional right to receive an education. Not only are learners drastically affected, but vacant posts also put extra pressure on schools and educators, as teachers are forced to teach subjects they are not qualified in for the school to meet its performance targets.
The Democratic Alliance has demanded that the Department provide the Education Portfolio Committee with a detailed report on vacancies. The report must include a breakdown of all vacant posts and an action plan on when these vacancies will be filled.
The DA believes in an opportunity society where every single child, regardless of their background, can be themselves and develop themselves and pursue their dreams, and this is only possible if we can ensure that every child has a teacher.
The Department’s claim demonstrates how out of touch it is with reality. Based on provisional data provided to the Education Portfolio Committee, 1794 vacant teaching posts are currently vacant. These vacancies include posts for 380 principals, 39 deputy principals, 272 heads of departments, and 692 teachers, as well as top sliced posts.
These vacancies do not include the 788 positions cut from the year’s organogram. Due to financial constraints, the ECDoE decreased the number of educators employed in schools in the province, from 53 605 posts in 2022/23 to 52 817 in 2023/24.
It was also revealed in a recent committee meeting that NSFAS and self-funded educators are last in line to be considered for a teaching post, being locked out of jobs.
The Department could only achieve a teacher in front of every class by merging already overcrowded classes. The Department must admit a severe shortage of educators and take the necessary steps to address the shortfall.
Instead, the Department has set its target to fill just 80% of the vacant posts this financial year. The DA has strongly condemned this.
We will continue to fight for all our schools to be fully staffed with qualified educators that will add value to our children’s lives and empower them with the skills needed to seize the opportunities that the future brings.