Angie shields Sadtu in jobs scandal
DA smell political bias as Motshekga exonerates union
Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has shifted blame for the “teaching jobs for cash” scandal to district officials in provincial education departments, saying members of trade union Sadtu had not been linked to it by any evidence at her disposal.
“No evidence points to Sadtu, which has been instrumental in the improvements we have seen in rural and poor schools,”said Motshekga.
But DA education spokesman Gavin Davis says Motshekga lacks the courage to tackle the powerful union.
“The minister is constrained by the fact that SADTU is an ally both of the ANC and of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, whom she supports for the ANC leadership,” said Davis.
Addressing the parliamentary press corps before her budget vote in parliament yesterday, Motshekga said safety at schools was a concern to her.
“Pupils and teachers are attacked in school, while equipment is vandalised and stolen from schools,” she complained.
Following criticism of the way in which the annual national assessment (ANA) system worked, it has been decided that schools would shift to a more integrated National Integrated Assessment Network (NIAN), which will not be done annually so that schools have the opportunity to implement remedial steps in order to improve results.
A national exam council will also be considered as an independently functioning examinations body.
Motshekga reported accelerated introduction of African language studies with Limpopo, the Northern Cape and Free State leading the way, while the Western Cape, Mpumalanga and Gauteng are lagging behind.
Supplementary matric exams will, in future, be written in June rather than March to afford learners adequate preparation time.