The DA calls for talks on teacher dilemma

THE Democratic Alliance (DA) in KZN has called for a discussion, in the Provincial Legislature, on the shocking number of under-qualified and unqualified teachers in the province.

‘The DA has written to the Chairperson of the Education portfolio committee insisting that this matter be placed on the agenda for the next meeting and we are awaiting a response,’ DA KZN education spokesperson Dr Rishigen Viranna said.

This is after Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga revealed last month that 2 875 teachers in the province are unqualified or under-qualified, with more than 1 100 of them occupying posts in the Zululand, King Cetshwayo and uMkhanyakude districts.

The subjects most affected by this are maths and science. ‘Sometimes a teacher with a Bachelor of Commerce degree will be asked to teach maths, but because they have no methodology in teaching, they are considered unqualified,’ said KZN Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi.

ALSO READ: Anger over number of unqualified teachers

He said there is a high demand for education in the province, particularly in the rural areas owing to the high number of learners and

schools.

However the DA says KZN Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane and his department have a lot to answer

for. ‘The MEC and his department must be held accountable for failing our young people,’ Viranna said.

‘The department has stated before that it is implementing various programmes to improve teaching – clearly these are not having the desired effect,’ he said.

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