Motshekga disappointed over teacher shortage

BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga said she was deeply disappointed yesterday after finding some classrooms in Nelson Mandela Bay are still without a teacher.

She was addressing the media after a meeting with parents and school governing bodies at the district education office in Sidwell.

“It is irritating and I am very disappointed,” she said.

Motshekga said she was unable to monitor from her level whether every classroom had a teacher.

“Having the right teacher in front of the right classroom is priority No 1 and the districts should say why this is a problem,” she said.

Motshekga said the national department would assist its provincial counterpart by securing skilled individuals in the private sector to assist with capacity training.

Funding would be secured from the national Treasury to appoint people with skills to help with human resources and infrastructure challenges.

“We do not have the capacity to plan and implement infrastructure projects; we will need individuals from the private sector to assist,” Motshekga said.

But she warned that some of the demands raised by parents in the northern areas could not be achieved.

The Department of Basic Education’s chief director for education human resource management, Simone Geyer, said there would be a series of workshops to educate and empower principals and parents in the Bay.

She said the delivery of textbooks and school furniture had been expedited.

“Three schools have been identified for a complete overhaul as they are wooden, asbestos or mud structures.

“Fifteen other schools have been identified as partially inappropriate,” Geyer said.

Meanwhile, about 200 parents, teachers, principals and pupils marched yesterday to raise awareness of the northern areas education crisis.

The march, organised by the Northern Areas Education Forum (NAEF), represents the interests of more than 40 schools from Schauderville to Booysen Park.

The group marched from the Cleary Park shopping centre to Gelvandale Stadium, where speakers, including pupils, addressed the crowd.

NAEF chairman Ronnie Matthys said: “The basic right of every child [to quality education] is trampled on.”

Bethelsdorp Comprehensive Grade 11 pupil Nicole Prinsloo, 17, said she was tired of the teacher shortage.

“We are tired of not having enough teachers and of not being safe at school,” she said.

“We do not even get textbooks any more.”

NAEF secretary Richard Draai said he had invited Motshekga to accept a petition from the group, but had received word from her office that this offer was declined.

Draai then read out the petition and a list of demands, including the immediate filling of all vacant posts and the provision of a teacher for every classroom of 30 pupils.