Report highlights concerns over ageing teachers

THE future of South African teachers is not on a sure footing, according to the inaugural 2030 Reading Panel report.

The report has urged “fundamental reforms” in the education system that will close the gap of teachers who are expected to retire in the next 10 years.

At the meeting convened by former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka earlier this month, members of the government, business and civil society came together to discuss the 2030 Reading Panel’s 2022 Background Report, which summarised some of the challenges ahead of reaching the 2030 goal of ensuring that all children read for meaning by the age of 10.

According to the report, 45% of teachers employed in government schools in 2020 and 2021 are reaching the age of retirement.

The report suggested that an immediate action plan needed to be implemented by increasing the number of teachers to 44 000 per year by 2025 and 50 000 per year by 2030 to avoid large increases in class size or unqualified teachers being recruited to fill positions.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) spokesperson, Nomusa Cembi, said the union wished to see plan that would guarantee the gaps left by retiring teachers were filled effectively.

“We are deeply concerned about the fact that teachers are ageing, and we have not been made aware of the Department of Education’s or the government’s plan to train more teachers to fill the gap when these current teachers retire.

“Yes, there is a Funza Lushaka bursary scheme to train teachers, but we doubt the teachers produced were enough to fill the gap. The government should come up with a plan to train more teachers because currently, the tertiary institutions that are there are not enough to produce the number of teachers needed. Years ago, the government closed down teacher training colleges, and that will have an effect on closing the gap,” said Cembi.

The report further indicated that there were low levels of content knowledge for younger, newer teachers, as shown by the research that sought to look at the growth in mathematics knowledge over the years in the B.Ed programme.

Furthermore, based on this research, the report indicated that younger teachers showed poor levels of subject understanding. The average score achieved by primary school pupils on a maths test was 52%. Finalyear B.Ed students scored an average of 54% on the same test.

Panellist and South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) Commissioner for Education, Andre Gaum, said he believed an urgent audit of unemployed teachers needed to be conducted. The number of opportunities to improve the quality of teachers who graduate in the future also needed to be addressed.

“The figures quoted certainly pose a very real challenge, which should be addressed as soon as possible. However, the situation also presents a number of opportunities to improve the quality of teachers who graduate in the future.

“I would like to see a very urgent audit of teacher shortages in South Africa by geographic location and by school phases and subjects. I would also like to see an urgent audit of unemployed teachers available, given recent media reports that there are large numbers of unemployed teachers in the country.

“Third, I would like to see the finalisation of the current audit of pre-service university teacher education programmes and the development of a proper response to the results of the audit.

“Finally, I would advocate that universities and the Department of Higher Education and Training raise admission requirements for student teachers and respond to the teacher shortage needs of the country”, said Gaum.

Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department’s people management strategy over the next 10-15 years was focused on the recruitment and development of young teachers.

“To ensure that there is a steady supply of educators to fill these posts and address the age challenge, the department is focusing on the recruitment and appointment of newly qualified educators.

“This strategy is also supported by the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme through the allocation of bursaries to matriculants pursuing a career as educators, with a specific focus on the needs identified by the province (foundation phase, mathematics, science),” said Hammond.