Failure to implement Principal competency testing shows SADTU still in charge

21 August 2016

It has emerged that just 7% (103 out of 1 435) of Principals around the country underwent competency testing, and they were all from the Western Cape.

This finding is contained in the 2015/16 Annual Report for the Department of Basic Education tabled in Parliament last week. 

The failure to implement competency testing for Principals is in defiance of a letter from the Director-General to all Provincial Heads of Department on 27 January 2016. The letter requested that competency assessments must be part of the selection process for the appointment of Principals from 2016.

However, as the Annual Report indicates, this has not happened in 93% of cases.

It is easy to see why this has happened. It is because the ANC has allowed SADTU to call the shots in our education system.

We know that the South African Democratic Teachers Union is firmly against the competency testing of Principals, as it interferes with SADTU’s ability to deploy SADTU-aligned “cadres” into top posts. 

It is obvious that SADTU is exerting its muscle in weak provinces to block Principal competency testing. Indeed, it is indicative that one of the few provinces not "captured" by SADTU – the Western Cape – was the only province that implemented competency testing.

The blocking of Principal competency testing underscores the need for Minister Motshekga to formally table the ‘Jobs for Cash’ report in Parliament. This report shows how SADTU has captured six out of nine provincial education departments, and contains a number of recommendations to free these provinces from SADTU dominance.

We therefore re-iterate our call to Minister Motshekga to immediately table the ‘Jobs for Cash’ report in Parliament so that we can begin restoring balance in our education system. 

Issued by Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, 21 October 2016