Hundreds of vacant posts at schools in Gauteng an indication that the province’s education system is dysfunctional
At the end of September this year, there was a total of 580 vacant teaching posts, all on management level, at schools in Gauteng. This clearly goes to show that the education system in the province is dysfunctional, says adv Anton Alberts, chairperson of the FF Plus.
From the response to a written parliamentary question that adv Alberts addressed to the Minister of Basic Education, it can be gleaned that there are 62 vacant Principal posts, 109 vacant Deputy Principal posts and 409 vacant Head of Department posts. (Please see the full question and answer below).
The Minister was unable to explain why the posts are not being filled. She was also unable to answer the questions pertaining to the number of schools in Gauteng, the number of schools that are not in use, or the number of schools that must be built to accommodate the growing number of learners in the province.
She also did not provide an answer to the question of why Afrikaans schools are being put under pressure to become English, she only said that she is waiting for information from the Gauteng Department of Education.
Adv Alberts says it is a shame and that the MEC for Education in the province, Panyaza Lesufi, is probably deliberately permitting the situation where the vacant posts are not being filled and the money, that the Department received to build new schools, is not being used.
“By deliberately creating a situation where schools cannot function properly due to staff shortages and where learner numbers are artificially increased, because new schools are not being built, Lesufi is working towards justifying forcing Afrikaans-medium schools to enrol learners that speak other languages.
“From experience we know that single-medium Afrikaans schools become anglicised when they are forced to accommodate English as well.
“There is money to repair the schools that are available, to build new schools and to fill the vacant teaching posts. The FF Plus is of the opinion that Lesufi is deliberately not doing these things in an attempt to stamp out all the Afrikaans-medium schools in Gauteng,” says adv Alberts.
Text of reply:
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 3602
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10/11/2017
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 42/2017
3602. Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:†
(1) (a) What is the total number of teaching posts currently vacant in Gauteng and (b)(i) for what period and (ii) why each specified post continues to be vacant;
(2) what total number of (a) school districts and schools are in Gauteng and (b) learners can be accommodated at each specified school;
(3) in respect of each school district, (a) what number of schools is in use, not in use and/or partially in use, (b) what number of new schools is required and being planned and (c) by what date the new schools will be completed;
(4) in respect of each school district, (a) what are the names of and (b) what is the reason why Afrikaans single-medium, dual-medium and parallel-medium schools have been identified by her department to accept non-Afrikaans speaking learners? NW4030E
REPLY
(1) (a) As at the end of September 2017, there were 580 vacant teaching posts in Gauteng. All were in school management posts; 62 Principal, 109 Deputy Principal, 409 Head of Department.
(b) (i) and (ii) The information requested is currently not availble, it will be requested from the Gauteng Department of Education and will be provided once received.
(2)(3)(4) The information has been requested from the Gauteng Department of Education and will be provided as soon as it is received
ENDS
Statement issued by Adv. Anton Alberts, FF Plus chairperson and parliamentary spokesperson: Basic Education, 4 December 2017
