SADTU KZN statement on the MEC’s decision on recruitment of Post Level One teachers

2 July 2024

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in the province of KwaZulu Natal is delighted by the statement issued by the department of education - our employer on the 27th of June 2024 reporting on the decision of the MEC, Honourable Sipho Hlomuka on the recruitment of post level one educators.

The statement follows a meeting we had with the MEC as a Union on 21 June where we raised the issue regarding the recruitment process of Post Level One educators.

In his statement, the MEC seeks to introduce more transparent and inclusive processes when appointing teachers and ensuring that vacant posts are advertised publicly. SADTU appreciates this move and is celebrating the moment.

It is a known fact that SADTU has long been calling for the open advertisement of post level one teacher posts so that appointment processes can be transparent to all. This was one of our main demands in a memorandum we handed over to the Department during our march of 13 October 2023

There are two main reasons that informed the call by SADTU. First, there has been great confusion and discontent especially on the side of unemployed graduates who do not know how the department is appointing teachers. In as much as they know that people are identified from the App or data base, it remains a mystery how some have never had an opportunity though being registered in the App for years. Whilst the App is useful in keeping the data of unemployed graduates, in most cases it caused delays in filling of vacancies.

Secondly, school principals and their SGBs have been left in limbo regarding the functioning of the App and the data base as they simply receive names of people appointed to their schools sometimes with no regard of the school’s curriculum needs. In some cases, these placements undermine the decisions of SGBs who sometimes apply for the absorption of substitute educators from their schools and are overlooked with no plausible explanations.

It has always been SADTU’s view that to bring stability in staffing at schools, the department needs to advertise vacant posts and allow SGBs to run processes and recommend appointments to the HOD in line with the educator employment policies.

Whilst this move is celebrated, SADTU is aware of the obligation of the department to serve educators who are in surplus and remain unplaced. To address this SADTU is therefore calling on the department to move faster in the PELRC and finalise guidelines for placement and filling of remaining vacant posts (those that do not match the surplus teachers). This process will also have to give space for the cleaning of the system and ensure that all temporary or substitute teachers who qualify for conversion are all converted before advertising posts. School principals will also have to stop gatekeeping as we have witnessed in the past, principals hiding vacant posts.

SADTU hopes that this process will not be sabotaged by those who never wanted transparent processes of recruiting teachers. On several occasions last year, SADTU raised this matter in the PELRC staffing committee and we are aware that someone in the department did not support this idea.

Media houses have solicited SADTU’s views about the plight of unemployed graduates and our response has been consistent; the department needs to advertise level one posts and allow unemployed graduates to apply with SGBs conducting shortlisting and interviews. SADTU believes this will bring comfort to unemployed graduates who are currently in the dark regarding recruitment processes hence some have taken the decision to camp in the offices of the department.

In conclusion, as stated above, SADTU had a meeting with the new MEC and among the issues the Union raised was one of the open processes in appointing post level one educators. We were happy to learn that the MEC was also of the same idea of transparent processes.  To see the statement of the Department on this matter just less than ten days after our meeting is an indication that the MEC is a man of action who walks the talk. Again, SADTU is prepared to support the MEC in his endeavours towards the delivery of quality public education in KwaZulu Natal.

Issued by Jabulani Nxumalo, Provincial Deputy Secretary, SADTU KZN, 2 July 2024