“Jobs for Cash” report will be given to Basic Education Portfolio Committee
The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education today had an encouraging engagement with the Minister of Basic Education Ms Angie Motshekga, said Acting Committee Chairperson, Ms Pinky Mokoto.
The Committee noted the comments by the Minister that when the report on the sale of educator post “Jobs for Cash” was finalised next month, it would find its way to the Committee for further interaction.
Minister Motshekga also briefed the Committee on the licensing of teachers, competency testing for markers of National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations and the call for the return of inspectors to schools.
The Committee heard that the final report on the “Jobs for Cash” allegations was handed to the Minister in March and her intention was to release it this month. However, she highlighted that one of the labour unions in the education sector approached the department through its legal representatives because they wanted sight of the report before it was released to the public. This will ensure that parties cited in report did not read it in the media for the first time. The lawyers acting for the Minister agreed to a 21-day postponement as it would be legally correct for parties mentioned in the report to peruse it before it was made public. The report is now likely to be released early next month. The Committee noted that the task team would not be dissolved yet, and that investigations were ongoing as more allegations were made as they probed further.
Ms Mokoto said as soon as the relevant processes had been completed, the Committee would find the time to discuss the matter. “The Committee welcomes the fact that Minister has agreed that once the report was released to the public, the Committee would get a detailed briefing and could then discuss the report at a meeting.”
In terms of the selection criteria of markers, the Committee further heard that stringent criteria would be used to select markers for the NSC examinations. This included a three-year qualification, a pass at second or third year of studies for the subject applied for marking, teacher at Grade 12 level for at least two years within a period of five years and language proficiency.
Regarding the licensing of educators, the Committee heard that the department was working with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) to professionalise teaching through standard setting and the strengthening of the induction of new teachers. The proposal is to provide newly qualified teachers with provisional registration. In conjunction with the department, SACE is working on introducing a policy on professional standards.
The Committee looks forward to the release of the final report on the “Jobs for Cash” so it can interrogate the issue and put the matter to bed that has been the thorn in the flesh of the education sector as a whole. The Committee will continue to keep an eye all issues discussed to monitor the progress, said Ms Mokoto.
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