The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has warned that the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) could be on the brink of collapse. This as the department is failing in several administrative processes, according to the union.
The Member of the Executive Council (MEC) of a provincial education department is required to calculate the number of teaching posts required by the province, and the Heads of Department (HODs) must calculate the number of teaching posts required by each public school in the province and then allocate teachers to vacant posts.
It is critical that this is done, as it ensures that schools have enough teachers to cater to their number of learners attending a school. Not having an adequate number of teachers at a school could negatively affect learning and could lead to classroom overcrowding.
Sadtu explains that the ECDoE MEC's failure to do this according to the clear timelines dictated by the Employment of Educators Act 76 of 1998 is a serious challenge.
In a statement, the union has accused the ECDoE of treating teachers like casual workers. This directly results in teachers leaving at their end of contract without all the benefits they should be entitled to after working as teachers.
They said, “The non-employment of qualifying Grade R practitioners is a cause for concern. Some retire or exit the system bare-handed and are not even registered with the UIF and Provident fund; they are treated as casual workers by ECDoE.”
Sadtu adds that the department has also failed to pay pensions, leave gratuities, acting allowances, temporary educators and substitute teachers. The union says this is causing trauma to teachers, some of whom have unpaid leave gratuities dating from 2016.
Earlier this year, the union raised the alarm about the non-deliverance of stationery and textbooks to schools in the Eastern Cape. They add when stationery and textbooks were finally delivered to schools, their condition was compromised.
When the stationery and textbooks were finally delivered, the quality and quantity were highly compromised as suppliers clearly did not observe the specifications.
The union is calling for the decentralisation of this function to its school governing bodies.
