MEDIA STATEMENT BY MR EZRAH RAMASEHLA, PRESIDENT OF NAPTOSA, MADE IN PRETORIA ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2010

NAPTOSA is concerned about the recent noises in the media about moves to declare education an essential service (see DA statement).  Mr Ezrah Ramashela, president of the NAPTOSA (National Professional Teacher's Organisation of South Africa) said in Pretoria today that the Executive Committee of NAPTOSA was surprised at this suggestion for a number of reasons.

Clearly, said Mr Ramasehla, there is a crisis in education and it is the root problems that need to be corrected and solved.  Declaring teaching an essential service is not going to make dysfunctional schools and incompetent teachers any more functional or competent.  Declaring education an essential service will not have any effect on the quality of teaching and learning in our schools, said Mr Ramasehla.

The crisis in education needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, but this is not the way to go says NAPTOSA.  There are too many critical variables, such as the supply of new teachers, the number of insufficiently qualified teachers, the utilization of teachers outside of their areas of specialisation, classes that are too large for a variety of reasons (including the lack of infrastructure), the poor resourcing of some schools etc.  None of these, said Mr Ramasehla, could be solved by declaring teaching an essential service!

NAPTOSA believes that the suggestion at this time of possibly making teaching an essential service, subject to specific laws which affect the right to strike (for example) will only serve to direct attention, resources and energy away from the real issues.

We cannot afford to risk directing attention away from the real issues, ie. improving the quality of teaching and learning.  The education system must remain focused and those things that will make a difference, said Mr Ramasehla.

Issued by NAPTOSA February 16 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter