Schools that refuse to adhere to directives about post provisioning for 2012 are on a collision path with the Eastern Cape Department of Education.
In the Port Elizabeth District there are 324 additional educators in 89 schools. The DA was reliably informed that only 17 out of the 89 schools have complied with Collective Agreement 2 of 2003, in identifying and submitting the names of excess educators to the department.
In the province we have 6 793 additional educators and 8 896 substantive vacant posts. In certain districts, such as Mount Frere where there are 263 additional educators and 331 substantive vacant posts, I was reliably informed that there is 100% non-compliance.
It is clear that the majority of the districts are not adhering to directives from the department. In terms of Collective Agreement 2 of 2003, district directors must record all schools which have identified excess educators and they must then implement the movement of such educators with immediate effect to vacant posts befitting their profiles.
The DA unreservedly supports agreement 2 and appeals to the Head of the Department, Adv. Modidima Mannya, to inform schools that refusal to comply constitutes serious misconduct.
Collective Agreement 2 of 2003 was the product of negotiations between the employer and employee organisations, and none of the parties has the right to unilaterally withdraw or break the terms of this arrangement.
The DA finds it very disturbing that in the Port Elizabeth district alone, 72 schools out of 89 have refused to comply.
We appeal to all schools to adhere to the prescripts of the collective agreement to prevent disciplinary action for insubordination against their principals and teachers.
The DA concurs with the view of the HOD that the department reserves the right to unilaterally identify educators using criteria set out in the collective agreement. The department can thus identify excess educators and implement their movement to receiving schools with substantive vacant posts.
The DA is also aware the HOD reserves the right to take disciplinary action against any person who fails to carry out his instructions and to implement Collective Agreement 2, as directed.
Change may sometimes disrupt livelihoods, but this change is a necessity to address imbalances. Let us all work towards nurturing and developing our children with the human resources they are entitled to. Let us refrain from acting in a manner that is in contempt of the directives of the department in the implementation of the 2012 post provisioning.
This process aims to have a fair and equitable distribution of educators in all the schools in the Eastern Cape. Non-implementation will result in some schools not having their full quota of educators and others with an over-supply. Education first, before self interest.
Edmund van Vuuren, MPL
