Database for unemployed teachers starts

THE provincial education department is calling on all unemployed and temporarily appointed teachers to register on the department’s electronic database to help them find jobs.

The database, aimed at assisting with the department’s human capital planning and development processes, was launched on Monday.

According to the department the electronic database will help determine the availability of professionally qualified educators in the province.

It will also provide a view of curriculum planning processes, help with design of bursary programmes and streamline recruitment and appointment processes for substitute educators.

Department spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the database would help source qualified educators when needed. “We will immediately know where to go if we have any vacancies.”

The Unemployed Educators’Association, which has close to 400 registered members, said although the initiative was welcomed, they were concerned it would not be used effectively.

The association’s chairman Sinovuyo Dlepu said members, some who have been unemployed for more than two years, had lost hope finding a job. “Our members have applied for posts numerous times and have been rejected due to preference given to candidates who qualified through Funza Lushaka, which is a departmental bursary.

“This is a good initiative – that’s if they are going to use it effectively and fairly. But if it’s just going to exist as a place where our names will be stored and fail to address the issue at hand, which is finding employment for all unemployed educators regardless of where and how they obtained their qualifications, then it will be useless,” said Dlepu.

Professionally qualified teachers who are not employed or employed in a temporary capacity are requested to go online and follow a link on the department’s website www.ecdoe.gov.za.

They will need to complete a registration form and upload required supporting documents including an identity document, qualifications and South African Council for Educators registration certificates. —