Members of the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) in the Eastern Cape were not on strike, but would consider the step if their demands were not met soon, a spokesman for the union said on Tuesday.
"We are still at school, but we are engaged in a programme of protest activities," said Mncekeleli Ndongeni.
The union was unhappy about long hours and poor working conditions, which were symptoms of poor leadership by the province's head of education, Modidima Mannya.
"For him to be in charge of so many children's futures, it's a disaster," Ndongeni said.
Last week Sadtu members complained that retrenchment of some temporary teachers left permanent teachers overworked, impacting on the quality of education the province's pupils received.
The Eastern Cape education department was not immediately available to comment on Tuesday.
Last week spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said teachers were annually redistributed according to student intake numbers and subjects offered by schools.
Every year this was a point of contention between the department and the union, he said. (Sapa)
