East Cape yet to appoint permanent Grade R teachers

THE Eastern Cape government has not appointed a single Grade R teacher, leaving parents to help pay towards hiring more than 4 700 teachers.

This was despite the government announcing plans more than a year ago to make Grade R compulsory at primary schools.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said only two provinces – Limpopo and North West – employed Grade R teachers permanently in state-funded posts.

Eastern Cape education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima yesterday confirmed that the province had yet to employ Grade R teachers in permanent posts.

“We are implementing the national policy and we have temporary practitioners at schools who get paid allowances by the department,” he said. The department pays R5 000, with schools forced to fork out more to top up that amount.

Standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) provincial chairman Max Mhlati, who is also a UDM MPL, questioned why Limpopo and North West were paying salaries if there was a policy against it.

He said the Eastern Cape should be employing these teachers permanently rather than paying allowances.

“Why is the department not adopting the national policy? Paying stipends means they are underpaying these practitioners for their services.”

DA MPL Edmund van Vuuren said there were 2 400 vacancies for Grade R teachers to be filled in the province.

“Some of the teachers ... have yet to be absorbed but are treated as practitioners and are only earning about R5 000 instead of R16 000 if appointed permanently by the state.

“They are frustrated and the department is not doing anything about it,” he said.