Question NW941 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
01 April 2021 - NW941
King, Ms C to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What (a) is the national vacancy rate of teachers in the Republic, (b) is the total breakdown of the number of posts that have remained vacant in each province and (c) are the details of the vacancy rate in the (i) 2016, (ii) 2017, (iii) 2018, (iv) 2019 and (v) 2020 academic years?
Reply:
(a) 5.8% as at the end of February 2021
(b)The vacancy rate reported is in terms of the actual vacancies at schools in relation to posts that each school was allocated for 2021. Provincial Education Departments are currently redeploying educators that are additional to the allocated post establishments at some schools to schools that have vacancies. Once this process has been finalised and the residual vacant posts have been filled through appointment of educators from outside the system the actual number of vacancies will be lower than the current rate.
Province |
Number of posts allocated for 2021 |
Vacant Posts |
Vacancy Rate |
Eastern Cape |
50 705 |
3 718 |
5.4% |
Free State |
20 490 |
842 |
3.9% |
Gauteng |
64 950 |
2 282 |
3.4% |
KwaZulu-Natal |
87 351 |
7 274 |
5.7% |
Limpopo |
51 637 |
5 375 |
9.2% |
Mpumalanga |
32 543 |
2 161 |
6.1% |
North West |
26 556 |
1 433 |
5.3% |
Northern Cape |
9 181 |
354 |
4.5% |
Western Cape |
29 099 |
1 117 |
4.3% |
Grand Total |
372 512 |
24 556 |
5.8% |
Source: PERSAL, February 2021
(c)
(i) 2016
Province |
Number of posts allocated for 2016 |
Vacant Posts |
Vacancy Rate |
Eastern Cape |
53 998 |
1 739 |
3.2% |
Free State |
20 432 |
662 |
3.2% |
Gauteng |
59 848 |
684 |
1.1% |
KwaZulu-Natal |
86 356 |
2 712 |
3.1% |
Limpopo |
64 155 |
6 654 |
10.4% |
Mpumalanga |
32 783 |
792 |
2.4% |
North West |
25 329 |
1 200 |
4.7% |
Northern Cape |
8 678 |
2 252 |
26.0% |
Western Cape |
29 803 |
1 024 |
3.4% |
Grand Total |
381 382 |
17 719 |
4.6% |
Source: PED Quarterly Report, September 2016
(ii) 2017
Province |
Number of posts allocated for 2017 |
Vacant Posts |
Vacancy Rate |
Eastern Cape |
54 747 |
4 593 |
8.4% |
Free State |
20 974 |
845 |
4.0% |
Gauteng |
61 761 |
580 |
0.9% |
KwaZulu-Natal |
90 698 |
1 710 |
1.9% |
Limpopo |
52 097 |
4 920 |
9.4% |
Mpumalanga |
32 700 |
644 |
2.0% |
North West |
25 908 |
666 |
2.6% |
Northern Cape |
8 231 |
512 |
6.2% |
Western Cape |
30 225 |
1 218 |
4.0% |
Grand Total |
377 341 |
15 688 |
4.2% |
Source: PED Quarterly Report, September 2017
(iii) 2018
Province |
Number of posts allocated for 2018 |
Vacant Posts |
Vacancy Rate |
Eastern Cape |
54 026 |
4 497 |
8.3% |
Free State |
20 619 |
142 |
0.7% |
Gauteng |
60 302 |
1 243 |
2.1% |
KwaZulu-Natal |
86 420 |
412 |
0.5% |
Limpopo |
54 214 |
4 511 |
8.3% |
Mpumalanga |
32 799 |
552 |
1.7% |
North West |
25 906 |
560 |
2.2% |
Northern Cape |
8 039 |
326 |
4.1% |
Western Cape |
29 826 |
1 309 |
4.4% |
Grand Total |
377 341 |
15 688 |
4.2% |
Source: PED Quarterly Report, September 2018
(iv) 2019
Province |
Number of posts allocated for 2019 |
Vacant Posts |
Vacancy Rate |
Eastern Cape |
54029 |
3 281 |
6.1% |
Free State |
20608 |
843 |
4.1% |
Gauteng |
60027 |
1 140 |
1.9% |
KwaZulu-Natal |
86737 |
2 729 |
3.1% |
Limpopo |
51724 |
5 101 |
9.9% |
Mpumalanga |
32651 |
538 |
1.6% |
North West |
26260 |
319 |
1.2% |
Northern Cape |
9046 |
296 |
3.3% |
Western Cape |
31246 |
1 445 |
4.6% |
Grand Total |
372328 |
15 692 |
4.2% |
Source: PED Quarterly Report, September 2019
(v) 2020
Province |
Number of posts allocated for 2021 |
Vacant Posts |
Vacancy Rate |
Eastern Cape |
52 632 |
2 848 |
5.4% |
Free State |
20 240 |
343 |
1.7% |
Gauteng |
59 138 |
452 |
0.8% |
KwaZulu-Natal |
86 737 |
6 216 |
7.2% |
Limpopo |
56 468 |
4 538 |
8.0% |
Mpumalanga |
34 854 |
1 772 |
5.1% |
North West |
25 863 |
509 |
2.0% |
Northern Cape |
9 149 |
40 |
0.4% |
Western Cape |
28 944 |
101 |
0.3% |
Grand Total |
374 025 |
16 819 |
4.5% |
Source: PERSAL, December 2020