Durban - Almost two months have passed since the school year began and Grade 1 and 2 pupils at a Phoenix primary school are still without teachers - allegedly due to shortfalls at the Department of Education.
Parents are concerned that their children, enrolled at Brailsford Primary School, have not yet started the syllabus and this could affect them from progressing to the next grade.
They say the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal had not found replacements after a Grade 1 and 2 teacher retired last year.
But the department said the appointment of teachers was a process and that there was a shortage of teachers in the different phases.
“After a school applies for a teacher, we will check if one is available for the required position.
"However, the processing time depends on if we do have someone to fill that position immediately or have to wait for applications,” said spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa.
The provincial chief executive officer of teacher union Naptosa-KZN, Thirona Moodley, said the appointment of Level 1 teachers had been taken over by the Head of Department in the province.
“However, such powers have not been delegated and as a result this will cause delays. Naptosa opposes this new process as it will result in schools without teachers until the HOD appoints same.”
Moodley added there were many unemployed qualified teachers looking for work, so there should be no shortage.
Sadtu secretary, Nomarashiya Caluza added: “We told them (the department) that their processes, which they are introducing, will cause a delay and as a result learners will have no teachers. Many schools in the province are in the same situation.”
Mthethwa said that if unions wished to engage with the department over pertinent issues they were welcome to.
“We have an open-door policy and they are welcome to come to our offices.”
The mother of a Grade 1 pupil said she was furious when she learnt her child's class did not have a teacher and the prescribed syllabus was not being taught.
“It is almost two months into the school year. This is supposed to be a stepping stone to a bright future,” said the parent, who declined to be named.
The school, she said, offered two Grade 1 and Grade 2 classes.
A parent of a Grade 2 pupil said she had also queried with the school on why one teacher was shuffling between classes.
“I was told both Grade 1 classes would be combined and the same would happen with the Grade 2 classes. We agreed to this at first because our children were already missing out on work but then we realised it would be difficult for one teacher to handle around 90 children. Added to this, the pupils would not receive the proper attention.”
The School's Governing Body chairperson, who did not want to be named, said they were waiting for word from the department on teacher allocations.
He said after the two teachers retired in October and December, they had contacted the department and submitted the relevant documents for new teachers.
“We are, however, still waiting for a response.”
He said a meeting was held with concerned parents and the circuit manager last week and it was decided that until new teachers were allocated, the heads of department in Grades 1 and 2 would take over teaching in the interim.
Early Childhood Development specialist and the chief executive of The Unlimited Child, Candice Potgieter, said: “When you build a house, you should build it on a solid foundation, so that it will stand strong.
"The same principle can be applied to Early Childhood Development. Proper groundwork in the formative years will ensure success later on in life. If a child has a good foundation of numeracy and literacy, their potential to succeed is much greater.”
She added that in 2017, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study showed that almost 80% of South African Grade 4 pupils fell below the lowest internationally recognised level of reading literacy in their language of learning and could not read with comprehension.
“This study exposed serious problems with teaching and learning in the pre-Grade R and the Foundation Phase.”
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