Eastern Cape Education MEC, Mandla Makupula, said his Department had issued 98 new teacher appointment letters in Nelson Mandela Bay this week
Makupula, along with the Head of Department, Siza Natshilaphala briefed the media today on the Department's progress in dealing wih the education crises in Port Elizabeth's Northern Areas where schools have been closed for about a month.
Parents and school governing bodies decided to close schools and keep children at home in protest against ongoing teacher shortages and other issues that they say the Department had failed to address.
At a mass meeting on Tuesday night the parents reaffirmed their position that schools will remain closed until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, Nathilaphala said that they had received a number of applications for vacant teaching posts but these applications were from unqualified teachers.
She said the members of a task team appointed by Premier Phumulo Masualle to address the Northern Areas education problems will continue to verify applications adding that schools have until Friday to submit "adequate" applications.
"This one area where we cannot compromise if we are serious about quality of education. So, while we intended to make appointments in each and every one of those positions we are constrained," she said.
MEC Makupula meanwhile appealed to parents to send their kids back to school.
He said "a day lost in the classroom can never be recovered which is why the department is considering strategies to make up for time lost this school year."
