Stakeholders meet over teacher shortages in PE

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Schools in Port Elizabeth's Northern Areas have been closed in protest against teacher shortages, but will re-open on Monday.

This followed a meeting of school governing bodies representing an estimated 70 schools on Wednesday, at which a task team was established to deal with the key issue of teacher shortages.

There are reportedly more than 130 vacant posts at schools in the Northern Areas and according to principals their submissions go unheard by the Department of Education.

Principals have indicated that they would "boycott meetings made by the department" as these meetings "amount to empty promises".

Principals emphasised that they would only entertain meetings with the department if these discussions had a direct impact on learners.

Some SGB members called for the entire Northern areas to come to a standstill and suggested the crisis take form similiar to that of the 1990 uprising.

Parents have demanded that there be a teacher in every classroom.

The tone echoed throughout the meeting is that teachers are tired and parents are angry, drama broke out when parents lashed out at ANC branch chairperson Samuel Davids, accusing him of making teacher and school issues a political matter.

This week teachers took to the streets with picket protests before school, to highlight their plight and these will continue for the rest of the week.

A meeting organised by an ANC branch is expected to take place at City Hall on Thursday.