Research into teacher training has revealed that the system is not making the grade, writes Philippa Garson
THE first national teacher education audit to be conducted in South Africa has uncovered an alarmingly inadequate teacher education system in need of fundamental restructuring.
Results of the audit, released this week, show that the quality of teacher education is generally poor; that too many primary school teachers and too few secondary teachers are being trained; that there is a dire shortage of teachers in mathematics, science and technology; and that the system is being clogged by those desperate for tertiary education but with no interest — or prospects — in the teaching profession.
The audit, conducted during six months of research commissioned by the education ministry, shows the need for a national strategy to rationalise teacher training colleges — the largest sector in tertiary education — and improve the quality of teacher education.
Projected figures show that unless restructuring takes place “as a matter of urgency”, by the year 2004 South Africa will need 6 000 fewer primary school teachers than now, and about 50 000 more secondary school
This means that the number of primary school teachers to be trained in the next decade should be drastically reduced, and that far more secondary school teachers (38 percent) must be trained.
A critical factor in assessing how many teachers are needed in future is the teacher/pupil ratio. The above figures must be seen in the context of the pupil/teacher ratios currently aimed for by the education department for the year 2000: 40:1 in primary schools and 35:1 in secondary schools. The audit reveals that South Africa’s average pupil teacher ratio is 34:1.
The authors of the audit, Jane Hofmeyr and Graham Hall, believe that the government’s intended ratios may have to be reconsidered because they will not be as easily implementable — for reasons such as classroom size — as lower pupil/teacher ratios.
This would mean forking out more money in teacher salaries, however, and provincial education budgets will have trouble finding the money for extra posts.
The authors also point out that the demand for so many secondary teachers in future may be short-lived. The current demand is due to the ballooning of pupil numbers in primary schools, a ballooning which will move through and eventually out of secondary schools and into the already-besieged higher education system.
Unlike other developing countries which struggle to produce enough teachers, “we have the general capacity to do so”, Hofmeyr said this week. “We have more than enough institutions and more than enough space.” However, there is a maldistribution of teacher institutions, with an oversupply of teaching colleges in most provinces — particularly acute in Gauteng, the Northern Province and the Western Cape — and an undersupply in some provinces, notably KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Where Northern Province has 21 teacher training colleges, Mpumalanga has only
There is also the contradiction of teacher training colleges falling under provincial control despite the fact that higher education falls under the national education department.
Hofmeyr argues the need for co-operation between the provinces in correcting the imbalances in teacher supply as a short-term solution until a national policy framework, “which is a matter of urgency”, is devised. A draft white paper based on the findings is likely to be compiled next year.
While rationalisation will have to take place, Hofmeyr argues that teacher training colleges be used as alternative education institutions, such as community colleges, given the massive demand for higher education. An estimated one- fifth of newly qualified teachers never find themselves in the classroom. They nevertheless flood the colleges because a teaching qualification is better than none.
“People are coming out with matric in increasing numbers and the demand for higher education is huge,” says Hofmeyr.
She cites the “uncontrolled growth of private colleges” as adding to the surplus of teachers unable to find employment. “Some of them are so dubious they do not have official accreditation for the certificates they churn out.” Hofmeyr points to an alarming trend of universities making deals with private colleges, stimulating their growth.
The audit reveals that the “teaching force is two-thirds qualified, largely African and female (64 percent of all teachers) and concentrated in the 25 to 45 age group.”
Although women predominate as learners both in pre-service and in-service teacher training institutions, management positions are dominated by men. The same trend is apparent in student leadership structures in the
Factory Oignores’ poison dust report
Hazel Friedman and Fumane Diseko
A BOKSBURG subsidiary of industrial giant Barlow Rand still exposes workers to poisonous dust and fumes in spite of a consultants’ report which warned management of the danger in May.
Welders at the Boksburg factory Barlows Cat, which manufactures Caterpillar industrial machinery, have been hit by a disfiguring skin ailment. Worker sources claim to have been told by management that protective measures would be “too costly”.
The confidential occupational hygiene survey report compiled for Barlows by Environmental Science Services Consultants was this week leaked to the Mail & Guardian.
Outlining recommendations for an extensive protective programme for the welders, it concludes that “employees involved in welding operations are at risk of contracting a related occupational disease and the necessary control measures, as outlined in this report, should be implemented”.
Seven months later, workers claim nothing has been done to counter the hazard. Says a worker on the company’s health and safety commmittee, who requested anonymity: “Barlows management has stated that it is not prepared to spend a million rand on workers’ safety. The company has been split into two camps because of this.”
Joseph Ntipe, a welder at the Boksburg factory, said the problem began 10 months ago when Barlows switched from using micro wire CO2 — a metal alloy used for making drag lines and coal haulers — to Fluxco wire 71600, which is cheaper and more easily available. Made in Korea, this wire is widely used overseas, but only alongside stringent safety precautions such as adequate ventilation systems, respiratory and eye protection, as well as protective clothing.
Said Ntipe: “The working area is very small, with hardly any ventilation. Sometimes the air becomes so thick with smoke and dust that I can’t see or breathe properly”. Ntipe’s chest is severely disfigured by a puckered, discoloured rash. At least 10 of the 44 welders employed at Barlows suffer from similar symptoms. Workers interviewed this week also complain of burning chest sensations, difficulty in breathing, a foul nasal discharge, pain and lethargy.
Barlows management has sent a letter to the workers saying there is no link between the ailments and the welding operations or metal used at the factory. This letter is in the hands of Bharat Hansjee, a constitutional litigation officer with the Black Lawyers Association, who is representing the workers. Hansjee has asked the Industrial Council for the Iron, Steel and Metallurgical Industries to investigate the matter.
He says: “It is early days yet, but there seems to be a huge problem at the factory, with management refusing to acknowledge the welders’ ailments or taking steps to rectify the health hazard. Given the nature of the symptoms and the number of workers affected, we are hopeful of getting some form of restitution under the Compensation
A Barlows spokesman said this week: “It would be inappropriate to discuss this allegation while we are discussing the allegation with our employee representative committee and the safety committee.
l Meanwhile new allegations surfaced this week of New Consort gold mine, near Barberton in Mpuma-langa, poisoning the surrounding environment with arsenic trioxide.
In 1991 this newspaper reported that New Consort was contaminating the region with arsenic. And last year the arsenic levels in the Noord Kaap River, which runs past the New Consort dump, were measured at one milligramme per litre as opposed to the acceptable 0,3 milligrammes per litre, claimed Richard Spoor, a lawyer for the National Union of Mineworkers. The contaminated river runs through a heavily populated agricultural region and then into the Crocodile River, which flows past Matsulu township.
It was reported this week that bags of arsenic trioxide had burst open after being stored in an open shed at the mine, contaminating surrounding areas.
Three government departments, the National Union of Mineworkers and Anglovaal — owner of New Consort — are participating in an investigation which the company has admitted could lead to an official enquiry.
Anglovaal said this week it could not comment pending the investigation.