Gauteng Education Department undermining quality education

8 June 2017

The Gauteng Education Department has taken a deliberate decision to appoint a Deputy Principal to Pholosho Secondary School, in Alexandra, who did not emerge as the best candidate during its interview process. This was done in defiance of the Department’s own policies, which include proper consultation with the School Governing Body (SGB) should there be a deviation.

The decision to pick a second-rate candidate has resulted in the appointment being set aside by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), which is mandated to “promote the maintenance of labour peace in the public education sector, through the provisioning of dispute resolution and prevention services.”

MEC Panyaza Lesufi has said that teachers will be promoted and hired based on merit but his Department has failed to use merit in appointing the Deputy Principal at Pholosho Secondary School.

Despite the poor decision, made by MEC Lesufi’s Department, being set aside, the Department has taken another ill-fated stance by taking the matter under review. While we respect that the Department has the right to review the decision of the ELRC, as the DA we believe that the review process will arrive at the same conclusion, which is that the Department acted irrationally by failing to follow due process.

At a time when education, particularly that of the black child is of an inferior quality, it cannot be right that schools have teachers and leadership of an inferior quality imposed on them. In this instance it appears that the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), which is representing the inferior candidate, are determined to place one of its members at the Alexandra school.

It is common cause that where the undemocratic teachers’ union rears its ugly head, the quality of education and leadership of schools is of a poor quality. Backed by the ANC, SADTU continues to break an already broken education system.

As the DA, we are determined to ensure that learners receive quality education and that teachers and principals are supported and held accountable for the performance of their learners; we will do this through the introduction of a National Education Directorate.

Anyone who opposes measures to enhance the quality of education is an enemy of building a better future for all South Africans.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, 8 June 2017