Serious shortage of teachers at St Theresa’s High
MANZINI – St Theresa’s High School is facing a serious shortage of teachers as it continues to add streams and government delays in replacing educators who have departed.
This is according to both the school’s senior teacher Nkosinathi Hlatshwako and Head teacher Albert Sihlongonyane when they were informing the Minister of Education and Training, Owen Nxumalo, about the challenges they were facing.
The senior teacher said they were seriously understaffed in various departments, including in the Mathematics/Science Department. He said the school had been adding streams in the various grades, but with relatively the same number of teachers.
Again, he said they had several qualified teachers, but they were employed on a contract basis. He highlighted that some of them were working on a contract basis for over 10 years, yet they played an important role in the lives of the pupils, the school and the development of the country.
Notice
On the same note, the head teacher said they had also lost some teachers to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and some of them left without notice. He added that one of the Mathematics/Science teachers was transferred to Mhlatane High School in 2022, but to date, he has not been replaced.
Again, he said they lost one of the long-serving teachers, who was the Head of Department (HOD) in the English Department and to date, the position was still vacant.
He added that since the school was getting bigger, it needed to have two deputy head teachers. In that regard, he asked the ministry to create a post for a deputy head teacher who would deal with the pupils’ welfare.
The head teacher said enrolment in the school had doubled in the past 12 years - from 398 in 2012 to 837 in 2024, against the academic staff of 41.
Meanwhile, Minister Nxumalo noted the challenge and said when he was the Minister of Public Service in the 10th Parliament, he did not realise the effects of vacant posts in schools. However, he said he was
glad that he had a good working relationship with the incumbent minister of Public Service and he assured the school that the issue of shortage of teachers would be addressed.
He said the Ministry of Public Service had promised them over 1 000 posts and they would hire teachers, including those who were on contract. He said as a ministry they were alive to the fact that it was not a good thing to have a teacher who would
be employed on a contract basis for over 10 years.
The minister also highlighted that the delay in the replacement of departed teachers was partly due to the hiring and promotion freeze, which government implemented in 2018.
On another note, the minister said he had already informed the ministry and Teaching Service Commission (TSC) that teachers who want to be deputy head teachers should apply. He said their list should
be publicised and go for an interview. Thereafter, he said the names of those who would qualify to be deputy head teachers should be publicised too to promote transparency and professionalism.
This, he said he believed would ensure that the position of deputy head teachers is occupied by hardworking and deserving candidates, which was something that would motivate educators to work harder.