Question NW839 to the Minister of Basic Education
12 April 2016 - NW839
Boshoff, Ms SH to ask the Minister of Basic Education
Are the qualifications of teachers verified with the SA Qualifications Authority (SAQA) prior to their appointment to teaching posts; if not, why not; if so, how many teachers (a) have had their qualifications verified by SAQA (i) in the (aa) 2011, (bb) 2012, (cc) 2013, (dd) 2014 and (ee) 2015 academic years and (ii) since 1 January 2016 and (b) how many were found to have misrepresented their qualifications during the specified academic years and period?
Reply:
There is no requirement for the verification of national teacher education qualifications of South African Citizens by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
However, all teachers are required to submit their qualifications to education departments for evaluation to be employed in education. The policy on the Criteria for the Evaluation and Recognition for Qualifications for Employment in Education, former Department of Education, 2000, published in Notice No. 935, Government Gazette No. 21565 of 22 September, 2000 is in the process of being revised. This policy describes the process and procedures for the evaluation, approval and recognition of initial qualifications, advanced and postgraduate qualifications for employment in education and the assigning of Requirement Education Qualification Value (REQVs) to these qualifications.
The principal end users of this policy are evaluators of teacher qualifications in national and provincial departments of education and admissions officials at universities and higher education institutions that offer teacher education to ensure that teacher applicants are admitted to the correct and most appropriate qualification type and programme.