Durban - The Siyathuthuka Secondary School in Newtown A, Inanda, has seven teachers teaching more than 600 pupils.
Makhosi Nxele, a school governing body member, confirmed that there were more than 600 pupils in the school, but it had just seven teachers.
Nxele said the governing body had raised the matter several times with the department’s circuit office.
“What bothers us is that some pupils spend the entire day learning just one subject, and that is not a good thing. We have cases where some classes have to be combined because teachers cannot teach all the classes as there is a shortage,” Nxele said.
Nxele said the issue started early last year as they received an increase in enrolment compared with other years.
She said they had had meetings with teachers, the community and officials from the circuit, and the officials had promised that this year six teachers would be employed at the school, but this was yet to happen.
“The teacher shortage did affect the matrics of last year, they could not attend extra classes. But they did manage to pass with 60% (pass rate) despite the challenges faced. We are saying if the government can give us teachers, the school will achieve good marks this year.
“Even with the small number of teachers, they are very dedicated and hard-working and all we want is for more teachers to assist them.”
Ward 56 councillor Siyabonga Ntombela said he was aware of the issue at the school. “I will go there to see it myself,” he said.
South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) KwaZulu-Natal secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said the shortage of teachers was a cause for concern and they had been pleading with the Department of Basic Education to hire more teachers. She also said the school must submit the statistics on enrolment in the school so that the department could review their allocation and get more teachers.
“As Sadtu, we have raised concern on teacher shortages in schools and we have been advising the department to develop ways of ensuring that all schools have the full complement of teachers.
“There is no doubt that learners without teachers get disadvantaged as they would go without some subjects being taught. Sometimes a situation like this ends up being a burden on the rest of the teachers in the schools as they are asked to assist by teaching those subjects that are without teachers,” Caluza said.
KZN Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department was aware of the matter and it was being attended to.