Question No. 403
Mr JRB Lorimer (Democratic Alliance) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) (a) How many (i) teachers are employed in temporary positions and (ii) of these teachers have been earmarked for permanent positions and (b) What is the breakdown according to province;
(2) What are the main reasons why teachers employed in temporary positions are not employed permanently;
(3) Whether she is attempting to improve the situation in this regard; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. (a) (i)
Temporary educators by province as at January 2010
Eastern Cape: 3 588
Gauteng: 1 964
KwaZulu-Natal: 4 617
Limpopo: 510
Free State: 990
Mpumalanga: 409
North West: 926
Northern Cape: 137
Western Cape: 414
Total: 13 555
NB: This only takes into account teachers who are occupying vacant posts, it excludes the substitute teachers (temporarily occupying filled posts).
(ii) Section 6B of the Employment of Educators Act allows a head of department to convert a temporary appointment to a permanent appointment without recommendation from the school governing body (SGB).
Therefore temporary appointments (in vacant substantive posts) of all suitably qualified teachers who match the profile of the post they are occupying could be converted to permanent. These teachers could also apply either for the same or other posts once they are advertised in terms of the applicable regulations in the personnel administration manual (PAM).
The details of the number of teachers earmarked for permanent positions are with provincial education departments and will be provided when available.
(b) As mentioned above all suitably qualified teachers occupying the temporary post could be made permanent either in the posts they are in if they match the profile or apply when the posts are advertised.
2. There are various valid reasons why teachers are appointed on temporary basis for fixed periods. However, the existing legislation provisions and regulations enable the Provincial Education Departments to expedite the permanent appointment of temporary teachers. As a result the rate of temporary appointments has reduced over the years and there is also no reason why teachers can be kept in temporary posts for long periods.
There are, however, also instances why some teachers employed in temporary positions are not employed permanently. The main reasons include:
* Unqualified teachers who temporarily occupy posts in which suitably qualified candidates could not be found
* Qualified teachers who do not suitably match the profile of the post they are temporarily occupying.
3. As mentioned above the department has introduced a number of measures to both to reduce the rate of temporary appointments and also to ensure that teachers are not unnecessarily employed on temporary basis for periods longer than a year.
* In 2005 an amendment was made to the Employment of Educators Act,
1998 with the insertion of section 6B that allows the head of department, after consultation with the Governing Body of the school, to convert the temporary appointment of an educator on the post establishment of a public school to a permanent appointment without the approval of the governing body of the school.
Provincial Education Departments are effectively using this provision to reduce the rate of temporary appointments and to ensure that teachers do not remain in temporary posts for longer periods.
* In addition, the department has issued guidelines and discussions were held at HEDCOM with regards to the reduction of rate of temporary appointments. One of the guidelines is that each Provincial Education Departments must ensure that, at any given time, not more than 10 percent of its total teacher posts would be occupied by temporary teachers.
Issued by: Department of Basic Education
26 February 2010
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
