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We cannot accept that thousands of teachers sit at home unemployed, and some overcrowded classrooms have up to 70 learners to one teacher, when there are vacant posts, writesMmusi Maimane.
Last Thursday, I announced a formal partnership established between the Unemployed
Educators’ Movement of South Africa (UEMSA) and Build One South Africa (BOSA)
alongside Deputy Convener, Moses Ntonyane.
The purpose of the partnership is for both parties to collaborate to bring national attention to the cause of unemployed qualified educators across South Africa and begin our programme of action to demand tangible action from the Department of Basic Education on this matter.
When BOSA was launched 40 days ago, we committed to offering a real alternative to the political party establishment. Instead of simply making empty promises, we committed to being a constructive force by working in conjunction with established role-players to solve our country’s core challenges. These being unemployment, education, safety, healthcare, and government efficiency.
Five key points of action
The Unemployed Educators Movement of South Africa straddles two of these core challenges – unemployment and education.
UEMSA is currently regionally based in Gauteng with an active membership of 1500, and a database of almost 30000 qualified educators who are either sitting at home unemployed or working another job while wanting to be employed as a teacher.
READ | Maimane's party BOSA strikes up partnership with group for unemployed teachers
It exists to represent this constituency of unemployed educators and seeks to expand to all other provinces in the coming months.
Our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalises our partnership will work towards five key points of action.
Firstly, creating public awareness and taking a stand against issues such as:
- The teachers’ intake process,
- The ratio of qualified educators to students in the country,
- Subject allocation to unqualified educators,
- Abuse of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative,
- Salary kickbacks, and
- Quid pro quo assault.
Secondly, requesting the Department of Basic Education to conduct a third-party audit on the aforementioned issues. Thirdly, assisting in creating employment for the members to the best of its ability. Fourthly, working together with the National Unemployed Workers Union (NUWU) to upskill members as coaches. And fifthly, providing legal aid in the legal action to be taken against the Department of Basic Education.
In addition, BOSA will work to advocate for further issues including dropping the 30% pass mark, introducing an independent education ombudsman, incentivising students during the academic year, implementing tighter security at all schools, expanding extended programmes for underperforming learners, reprioritizing budget for digital learning and infrastructure, higher pay for performing teachers, a nationwide skills audit for educators, and addressing the disproportionate power trade unions wield over teachers and the functioning of the education system.
Moreover, parents must be given far greater choice in how and where their children are schooled and educated.
Vacant posts
Our collective programme of action begins today with the launch of our portal - both online and in communities across the country. The portal, which acts as a nationwide survey, is asking two questions. One, for all educators currently unemployed to sign up to the new database. And two, for all school principals to indicate the teacher shortfall and teacher-to-student ratio in their school.
Lastly, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, states there are 24 000 vacant teacher posts in South Africa. We cannot accept this while thousands of teachers sit at home unemployed, and some overcrowded classrooms have up to 70 learners to one teacher. Over 50% of SA’s primary school pupils are in classes with more than 40 pupils, with about 15% in classes exceeding 50 pupils - ranking South Africa worse off than countries such as Chile, Indonesia, Morocco, and Iran.
Therefore, we are planning a mass protest action at Minister Angie Motshekga’s offices in Tshwane before the end of November to lay these demands at her door. We call on all patriotic South Africans and active citizens to join us.
READ | ANALYSIS: Knowledge is power - Real-time data on school dropout needed
South Africa loses half of every cohort that enters the school system by the end of the 12-year schooling period. Two out of ten learners drop out of school after Grade 3, four out of ten after Grade 9, six out of ten after Grade 10 and 7.3 after Grade 11. The underperformance of government in addressing this widens the inequality gap in society and undermines the future of millions of young people.
We cannot lose 500 000 students from every cohort and wonder why there is a youth unemployment crisis. We cannot give a school leaving certificate with an average mark of 35% and wonder why the market cannot absorb young people.
With an annual budget of over R280 billion, over 24 000 schools under its supervision and almost 13 million learners in the system, we cannot afford anything but robust scrutiny of the Minister of Education and her department.
- Mmusi Maimane is the leader of Build One South Africa (BOSA).
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