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Durban – Despite the hundreds of millions spent on university bursaries for new teachers, the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department may have to continue to employ unqualified maths and science teachers because their suitably qualified counterparts are failing to take up vacancies in rural schools.
This is according to a report on the placement of teachers that has been presented to the legislature’s portfolio committee on education.
The document says 284 newly qualified teachers have not yet been placed at schools – including 149 of the 1 009 recipients of the government’s Funza Lushaka bursary.*
Department officials at the school district level have been provided with a list of these unemployed teachers, who must be given first consideration for appointment if they match a school’s needs.
The department has repeatedly said it is in the rural areas of KZN, in maths and science classrooms, that its teacher shortage persists.
According to spending projections released by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, the Basic Education Department will have awarded R2.8 billion in Funza Lushaka bursaries by the 2015/16 financial year.
Earlier this year, the KZN Education Department denied claims by MPL Tom Stokes, of the DA, that as many as 208 graduates were sitting idle.
The department said that by January, only 98 of 1 118 posts remained unfilled. These were vacant only because teachers had refused appointments at rural schools, and because the department was obliged to consider the curriculum needs of schools with vacancies.
The latest information presented to the legislature suggested the employment of graduates might be held up because employed staff declared redundant at schools were not being placed at alternative schools.
“The department has also realised that some principals choose not to declare vacancies so as to appoint teachers of their choice, or those they have promised to give posts.
“However, the department has tried to ensure that such principals are identified and dealt with in terms of the law,” the report states.
It says the department has processed requests from district offices that were not able to attract suitably qualified teachers from the pool of bursary holders and first-time appointees, for permission from head of department Nkosinathi Sishi to use “professionally unqualified” teachers – particularly for maths and science. These are teachers who do not have a teaching qualification.
Stokes said the committee had been told part of the problem was that students who received a bursary to study scarce subjects like science and maths changed their course packages mid-stream, switching to easier subjects.
The bursary system and the department’s HR division needed a “radical overhaul”.
Education department spokesman Muzi Mahlambi said he would not be able to respond before today.
* The Funza Lushaka bursary foots the bill for registration, tuition, residence, meals, books and other learning material, and provides a living expenses allowance for aspiring teachers.
leanne.jansen@inl.co.za
The Mercury
