Matric in focus, but lack of teachers ‘critical’
Eastern Cape schools still face crippling teacher shortages although matrics are just weeks from their final exams.
While matrics returned to schools in large numbers last week, many teachers remain at home with underlying health conditions that put them in a high-risk category when it comes to Covid-19.
That is according to the Eastern Cape National Professional Teachers of SA (Naptosa) union CEO Loyiso Mbinda.
Mbinda said schools were doing their best to prepare matrics for their final exams but there were “critical” staff shortages.
“The department of education said assistant staff would be hired from July 1 until December 31.
“No appointments have been made and Grade 7 learners, who are scheduled to return on Tuesday, will be the victims of that reality,” Mbinda said.
Gasela High School, just outside King William’s Town, is one of the schools battling teacher shortages.
School governing body member Remington Madikane said one teacher had died of Covid19 and another had taken early retirement. The school had no agriculture teacher, maths teacher and science teacher.
“Matrics returned in large numbers but we have a dire shortage of teachers. The SGB is meeting on Tuesday to discuss how to approach the situation,” Madikane said.
St John’s College in Mthatha is in the same situation.
SGB chairperson Gcobani Fadane said the school had written to the department of education to “assist with the challenge”.
“Besides the outbreak of the coronavirus, the school was challenged with a shortage of teachers. However, we have been pleased to see our matrics adapting to the new environment and ways of doing things.
They’ve shown diligence in preparing for their final exams,” Fadane said.
Schools are pulling out all the stops to save the academic year.
Vuluhlanga High School SGB chair Mabini Mnguphane said the Butterworth school had “cautiously” implemented an academic camp on the school premises where matric pupils would receive extra lessons.
“This initiative was welcomed by parents and pupils. The Grade 12 learners sleep over at the school and do extra lessons from 3pm until 7pm on weekdays.
“The classrooms are big so there is enough space for them to be free. However, we haven’t figured out how we will phase in the other grades yet,” Mnguphane said.
Matric pupils at Byletts Combined School in Mooiplaas just east of East London are “focused”, according to SGB chairperson Reuben Siqaza. He said: “As we are a hostel school, the children are on the premises at all times. When we phase in the other grades, we will have worked out a two-week alternating attendance cycle.
“Grades 10 and 11 will return for two weeks and then go home. While they are at home, grades 8 and 9 will return to school and so the cycle continues,” Siqaza said.
Eastern Cape education unions say they are “in the dark” about the overall readiness of schools.
Unions said they had not met with the provincial education department’s coronavirus command council in more than three weeks.
“The delay in receiving directions from the national ministry of basic education has led to a delay at provincial level,” said Mbinda.
Questions sent to the department of education were unanswered by print deadline on Monday.