Question NW2061 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
02 June 2022 - NW2061
Tito, Ms LF to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
In light of confirmed statistics that more than 3 000 educators perished due to the scourge of COVID-19 in the past two years, (a) what total number of the specified teachers have been replaced already and (b) by what date does she envisage they will all be replaced?
Reply:
(a) The public schools' sector loses between 18 000-22 000 (4.5%-5.5% of the overall educator population) educators annually due to natural attrition, in the main, driven by resignations, retirements and deaths. Analysis of excess deaths shows that there was a notable increase in deaths during the height of COVID-19. However, on the whole, the numbers were still within the range in terms of the annual attrition rate experienced by the sector. Therefore, educators that the sector lost due to COVID-19 deaths were continuously being replaced as part of the overall replacement of educators due to natural attrition.
(b) The replacement of educators lost due to attrition is an ongoing process.