Teacher assistants ‘make a difference’
● The thousands of young adults working as teacher assistants in Gauteng state schools are helping to improve discipline in classrooms, allowing educators to get on with the job of teaching.
That is the view of several schools benefiting from a Gauteng youth employment programme in which the contracts of 32,000 teaching assistants were renewed last month.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi issued appointment letters to all those whose contracts expired in December. The highly publicised event was seen by some as an electioneering stunt, but the programme has also been widely lauded by independent education experts.
The assistants help in various ways. Inside the classroom, they take the register, make photocopies, and assist with other administrative tasks. Outside the classroom, some do maintenance at schools, while others work as data capturers or help with sport and culture activities.
The Sunday Times spoke to several teaching assistants. They are not named because they are not allowed to speak to the media.
Among them is a 19-year-old man who works at Malvern Primary in the east of Johannesburg. He started as a teacher assistant in February last year. Before that, he helped his uncle, who does odd jobs as an electrician.
“I chose to become a teacher assistant because I saw it as an opportunity to figure out what I want to do with my life, and I already have. I want to be a teacher. I have fallen in love with the profession.”
With a monthly salary of R4,040, he has been able to get his driving licence and register with Unisa for a bachelor of education in foundation phase teaching.
His class duties include helping to keep order among the pupils and ensuring they do their homework.
“I fell in love with the kids. I have found my purpose in life.”
A teacher assistant who works at Lakeview Full Service Primary in Dhlamini, Soweto, said the experience had changed her life.
She finished matric in 2019, but could not find a place at any tertiary institution. She was unemployed before she started working as a teacher assistant in February last year.
“At home, no-one is working and I’m the youngest. I try to buy groceries ... I have basically become a breadwinner.”
She said her plan was to upgrade her matric results and study teaching.
“I have seen that in township schools there are no musical instruments. I want to introduce musical instruments for pupils who do not want to play netball and soccer,” she said.
Teacher assistants were introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic by President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of the presidential youth employment scheme. Their contracts ended in December, but Gauteng chose to extend them.
Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona said teacher assistants had been assigned different roles at schools. Some provided support to teachers in specific learning areas based on their matric results or a higher education qualification.
Others assist with e-learning and capturing information for a tracking system that collects data on every pupil in South Africa from grade R to grade 12.
Mabona said some teacher assistants worked as reading champions to “assist primary school learners with reading”. Others worked as general school assistants, helping to maintain and clean the school buildings. Some helped co-ordinate sporting
One thing to be careful about is [to ensure they are not relied on] to do the work of the teachers
Mary Metcalfe, above
and arts and culture events at schools.
“Some are transitioned into full-time employment. The stipend has had a significant impact on poverty in households. The presence of assistants has given educators time to concentrate on teaching and learning, as most of the administration work is done by the [assistants],” Mabona said.
About 1,900 Gauteng state schools have benefited from the teacher-assistant initiative.
“The department made an offer to all state schools. However, some of the former Model C schools had less interest, as they already have assistants [being paid] out of the school coffers,” Mabona said.
He would not reveal how much the department was spending on the teacher assistants, saying only: “The allocated budget will be adequate for the extended period.”
The Sunday Times also spoke to management team members at some schools, who said the assistants were making a valuable contribution.
Margaret Radebe, chair of the school governing body of Phefeni Senior Secondary in Soweto, said: “Assistant teachers also patrol the school to make sure learners are not bunking. They help maintain order, ensuring learners concentrate in class. They also help with administration in class.
“The teachers can focus on delivering lessons. We have seen a huge impact. In 2023, our matric pass [rate] moved from 89% to 97.55%,” Radebe said.
The principal of a Soweto school, who asked not to be named as he did not have permission to speak to the media, said: “If I had my way, I would have them on a permanent basis.”
The principal, whose school has 14 teacher assistants, said they also helped in monitoring communication between the school and parents.
Wits University education expert Prof Mary Metcalfe said teacher assistants were a good move in light of the high levels of youth unemployment.
She said they could assist teachers with large classes and help boost children’s lettersound relationship knowledge by reading to them.
“One thing to be careful about is [to ensure they are not relied on] to do the work of the teachers,” Metcalfe said.
“I’d like to see the programme get multiyear funding so there can be better planning — not the ad hoc approach being used at the moment.”
Metcalfe proposed that the programme be used as a pathway to teaching and other education-related services.
North-West University education expert Dr Elize Küng said the effectiveness of the teacher assistant depended on the individual school.
“In some cases we have found [teacher assistants] have added value. In other cases, it was a waste of time and money. It all depends on the attitude of the school staff and how they use these interns. In some cases, they were used as teachers.
“But they can add value if the school manages them properly. Our classes are overfull, and [our] teachers overburdened. One person can really make a difference.”