Minister Schäfer warns SADTU to call off boycott of systemic tests.
A few weeks ago, the South Africa Democratic Teachers Union made a call for schools to boycott the WCED annual systemic tests which are currently being held across the Province.
As a teacher union, they have no authority to make such a call. In doing so, they are urging their members to act unlawfully, as the instruction requiring all schools in the Western Cape to ensure the tests are written is a lawful and annual instruction of the Department. Whilst they are welcome to discuss their views on these tests in the appropriate fora, and they do, it is ultimately a policy decision of the Western Cape Government that these tests be written.
Unfortunately, over the past week, since testing began on the 11th of October, a number of schools have reported to the WCED that they were unable to administer these tests due to disruptions caused by SADTU members.
While the percentage of schools affected is relatively small, we cannot and will not accept this kind of lawless and intimidatory behaviour in our schools. The disruptions are mainly in poor communities, which are ultimately affecting our poorer learners. Testing is still underway until the 25th of October and we shall have to re-schedule the tests that could not be written as scheduled.
The safety of our educators, learners and test administrators has been at risk on a number of occasions, whereby as a result of SADTU members' actions of intimidation, they have prohibited independent test administrators from entering school sites, prohibited schools from allowing the tests to continue, have caused disruption in classrooms, invading the testing facilities and traumatising learners and staff in the process.