COSATU's response to union bashing comments attributed to NYDA Chairperson
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) deplores the anti-union comments attributed to Andile Lungisa, Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), blaming unions for the crisis plaguing our basic education system (The Times, 23 January 2012).
Speaking in a language akin to that of rightwing and anti-working class organisations such as the DA, Lungisa argues that schools should be union-free spaces and that education should be declared an essential service.
COSATU views these right-wing comments as not only unfortunate but baseless. He ignores the many factors that undermine our basic education system, such as classroom sizes, infrastructure backlogs, curriculum development, teacher training, libraries and laboratories.
This ideological onslaught on teacher unions is premised on the false notion that organised teachers are selfishly concerned about themselves and could not care less about learners. This reasoning accords all the blame for our malfunctioning education system to teachers who are organised in unions.
The transformation of our education system not only requires dedication from our teachers and their adherence to the non-negotiables which include being in class and teaching on time, but also the involvement of broader society, including parents, school governing bodies, the business sector and government.
COSATU has signed the Accord on Basic Education, which commits all education role players, stakeholders and social partners to support the drive to achieve quality teaching and learning in South Africa. The main thrust of the Accord is to work with identified schools in order that they may, through directed support, meet the challenges that they face.
The Accord enriches the programmes of the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign -- a multi-signatory compact between parents, educators, labour, communities and School Governing Bodies with the goal of achieving quality learning and teaching for all.
As part of its contribution to implementing the Accord, COSATU, through its affiliate in basic education, SADTU, is working together with the Department of Basic Education to ensure that the 10-Point Plan which seeks amongst others to address backlogs in school infrastructure, curriculum development, and improving the quality of teaching and learning.
We are also currently implementing our Adopt a School Campaign in which COSATU provinces adopt poor performing schools and commit to work with the community, parents and learners to ensure that we eliminate dysfunctional schools, especially in poor areas.
COSATU believes that SADTU remains an asset in the transformation of the basic education system and the breeding of a culture of excellence amongst teachers and learners. We therefore advise the NYDA, particularly Chairperson Lungisa, to halt this baseless buck-passing to teachers and revisit the Freedom Charter which states that "Teachers shall have all the rights of other citizens".
COSATU will continue to expose the union-bashing activities emanating from some organisations and institutions in our society. This includes the rightwing DA, the Centre for Development Enterprise and now the NYDA. We urge the leadership of the NYDA to desist from pursuing an agenda that is clearly aimed at eroding hard won workers' rights by portraying teachers as the "monsters in the room" in terms of our ailing education system.
Statement issued by Phindile Kunene, Shopsteward Magazine Editor, COSATU, January 23 2012
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