I Cronje on teacher’s posts for 2007

28 July 2006

Teacher morale has received a boost when KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Ina
Cronjé announced an additional 2 500 posts for 2007. This will bring the
teacher/learner ratio to the lowest in the province since democracy.

The MEC completed her last rounds of consultation with the teacher unions on
27 July 2006, where she brought the final proposal.

At 31,36 the teacher/learner ratio is an all time low. It stood on one
teacher per 34,9 learners in 2004 when MEC Cronjé took office. In 2005 it
dropped to 34,6 the current ratio is 32,35 and now it is at an all time low of
31,36.

In 2007 the KwaZulu-Natal department will be employing 84 432 educators, 2
500 more than the 81 942 it currently employs.

MEC Cronjé said she consulted the teacher unions with an open mind and what
finally persuaded her to create more than the department’s initial proposal was
the importance of teacher morale. “Teacher morale is extremely important as it
impacts directly on our children. Our teachers feel a lot of stress: they have
many responsibilities and challenges. They are no longer only educators with
the huge number of HIV/AIDS orphans they have also become parents. Adding to
this is the implementation of the new curriculum statement, which requires in
service training, as well as dealing with the new curriculum in the classroom.
Our teachers really deserve encouragement and the extra teachers will lift the
load.”

“Children will not remember the computer they had when they leave school but
the teachers who inspired them. The human factor is very important,” she said
at a media conference.

Enquiries:
Christi Naudé
Director: Media and Citizen Liaison (Acting)
Cell: 083 262 8829

Issued by: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Department
28 July 2006