Question NW1938 to the Minister of Basic Education
24 July 2017 - NW1938
Ollis, Mr IM to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1)With reference to her reply to question 980 on 18 May 2017, (a) what number of the identified un- and underqualified educators in each district in each of the (i) 2014, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2016 academic years do not possess (aa) the relevant subject knowledge or (bb) a relevant qualification covering teaching methodology in the classroom and (b) which school subjects are affected in each case; (2) whether (a) her department or (b) each provincial department of education has taken any steps to compel the specified educators to attend further education to upskill themselves in the missing subject knowledge and/or teaching methodology qualifications; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Reply:
1. (a) Unqualified educators possess Matric as their highest qualification. The subject/learning area they are allocated to teach is based on the subjects passed at matric level. However, these educators are included in the various in-service training opportunities and programmes to improve their competency in the subject knowledge and methodology.
Under-qualified educators possess 2-3 years of professional training. The reason why they are referred to as under-qualified is that their qualification no longer meets the required minimum qualification level due to the increase of the minimum qualification required to matric plus 3 years of professional training. These educators were trained in both subject knowledge and teaching methodology, but their initial training has since become inadequate. The table below summarises the split between un-and-under-qualified educators as provided in question 980.
|
Year |
Unqualified |
Under-qualified |
Total |
|
|
REQV 10 |
REQV 11 |
REQV 12 |
||
|
2014 |
5 388 |
252 |
1 079 |
6 719 |
|
2015 |
4 587 |
258 |
1 185 |
6 030 |
|
2016 |
3 848 |
218 |
1 073 |
5 139 |
(b) As was indicated previously subjects most affected are those that have been identified in the sector as scarce and critical skills areas which include mainly Mathematics, Sciences and Technology at all levels and African Language teaching, particularly at Foundation Phase.
2. (a) and (b) Un and under-qualified teachers do not meet the requirements for appointment since they do not have REQV 13. In the case of un-qualified teachers, the affected educators are encouraged and supported to take advantage of open programmes various provincial bursaries to improve their qualifications. In addition, they are given opportunities to participate in in-service training programmes. In the case of under-qualified teachers who have a degree, but still need to be professionally trained, they are also supported and encouraged to obtain the one-year professional diploma that will qualify them as teachers. They are also granted Funza Lushaka bursaries or any other provincial bursary that is available to them. These teachers also participate in in-service training programmes to enhance their knowledge.
It must also be noted that the un-and-under-qualified educators are appointed in a temporary capacity. Those that do not take advantage of existing opportunities to improve their qualifications are continuously being replaced with qualified educators resulting in the annual reduction of un-and under-qualified educators employed in schools.