the industrial action in the Department of Education
14 June 2007
We respect the right of all workers in the education sector to engage in
lawful industrial action. We also acknowledge that the current strike is a
protected strike.
Our schools and offices have been severely affected by the strike with most
of our districts reporting very high percentages of schools, as well as
district and circuit offices not functioning since the first of June when the
strike commenced. This means that at the majority of our schools no teaching
and learning has taken place for up to 10 school days. Our Further Education
and Training (FET) colleges have been similarly affected. This placed us in a
position where we had to postpone our vital midyear examinations at all our
institutions until the strike is over. We believe that it is unfair to expect
our learners to write examinations under abnormal conditions.
We will clearly do everything in our power with the help of our social
partners to ensure that the future of our children is not compromised. However,
we cannot deny the fact that the impact of the strike on our 2,7 million
learners is considerable.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa reminds us that the best
interest of our children is of paramount importance in everything that we do.
Our young people represent the future of our country. It is in this spirit that
we appeal to our principals and educators to make it possible for us to reopen
our schools with effect from Monday, 18 June 2007.
This sincere request to all educators is in no way intended to undermine
their right to engage in peaceful industrial action, but is intended to ensure
that our learners do not become victims of a situation which is beyond their
control.
We also express a heartfelt wish that the negotiators at national level find
each other so that we can return to normality and resume our core function of
teaching and learning.
We appeal to our learners to use the time away from school productively and
to study so that when the examinations are rescheduled they are well
prepared.
Issued by: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Government
14 June 2007
