futurefact finds
We the people
Writing in Time Magazine of 13 May 2013, Joe Klein spoke of the ability of certain groups to thwart the will of the overwhelming majority. This was in connection with the US Senate failing to pass a bill on background checks for gun purchasers despite the mass killings in schools and public spaces.
This comment could just as easily have applied to the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) prioritising their own interests before those of the people of South Africa.
The poor quality (and inequality) of education is probably SA's most serious problem (we rank 143rd out of 144 countries for the quality of our maths and science education and 139th for our overall education system). Yet our government allows teachers to engage in go-slows and strikes, and tolerates absenteeism and sheer incompetence.
Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu plans to send inspectors back to monitor schools, enforce a dress code for teachers and make it difficult for both current and former state employees to do business with the government. SADTU says it will fight the reintroduction of school inspectors, the biometric fingerprint system to monitor teachers' working hours and the unilateral implementation of a public service charter.