Mat South vacancies

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
MATABELELAND South Province’s education sector is overwhelmed by the increasing number of pupils that are being enrolled each year while the staff complement remains constant. Acting Deputy Provincial Education Director for the infant school module in the province, Samukeliso Dlamini, said the province had recorded a sharp increase in pupils at both primary and secondary level.

Speaking during a provincial merit awards ceremony held in Plumtree, Dlamini said a number of classes had been left unattended.

She said the province had 511 primary schools compared to 506 last year while there were 156 secondary schools compared to 153 last year.

Dlamini said there was a need for the staffing quarter to be reconsidered so as to match the recommended teacher-pupil ratio.

“In all sectors at ECD right up to A-Level, we have realised an increase in terms of enrolment. In the ECD sector we had 16,752 learners in 2014 and by end of term two this year we had 19,091 learners.

“While there has been an increase in the number of learners, the quarter which the ministry was allocated for teachers remained the same. As a result some classes have remained without teachers,” said Dlamini.

She said this development had caused serious staffing challenges.

Dlamini said at administration level, the province had three vacancies.

She said at primary school level the province had 177 vacancies for school heads while at secondary school level there were 42 unfilled posts for headmasters.

At ECD Level the province had 1,724 posts for teachers and only 1,621 of them had been filled, said Dlamini.

“Six percent of the teachers that are manning ECD posts are qualified and the rest of the classes are under the supervision of untrained personnel and most of them are community members that have been appointed by SDCs.

“Under the tech-voc sector there are 312 unfilled posts out of an expected 318,” she said.

Dlamini said at secondary level, the province had 107 unfilled posts out of an expected 194 for pure Science teachers.

She said the province had filled 108 posts out of an expected 211 posts for secondary Mathematics teachers. “We want to appeal to teacher training colleges to emphasise more on sciences because we have more of teachers that are trained in Arts subjects. As a province we have 74 schools out of an expected 153 secondary schools offering pure sciences to pupils.

“This is mainly because we don’t have the teachers and some of the schools don’t have the resources. Under the E-learning sector we have 63 competent personnel throughout the province,” said Dlamini.

She said some of the E-learning material was lying idle in schools because of a challenge in getting personnel to use the gadgets.

Dlamini said these and other challenges, if not addressed, would make it difficult for schools to implement the new curriculum.

Cabinet has approved the country’s new education curriculum and schools are expected to immediately start implementing it.

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Lazarus Dokora, said starting January next year, only qualified teachers and those in training would be eligible to be in the classroom.

The thrust of the new curriculum emphasises teaching Mathematics, Science, Engineering, Technology, Heritage studies and Local languages as well as sporting and practical subjects.

The curriculum also emphasises on an effective learning system from ECD level.

This is against a background of challenges being faced by the province’s education sector.