WEDNESDAY, 6.30PM
THE National Assembly’s education committee approved on Wednesday of changes to the Education Laws Amendment Bill, including last-minute changes which will give the Education Minister the power to regulate the funds used for employment of additional staff at public schools.
The controversial amendments also require public schools to fill vacant posts from government lists of available teachers. The amendments were added after talks with teacher unions, and are designed to encourage redeployment of teachers rather than retrenchment. Opposition parties objected that the clauses interfere with the right of school bodies to hire teachers as they choose.
The Bill will be debated in the National Assembly on October 28, but committee chair Blade Nzimande, said he was convinced “everybody will act responsibly, not least the governing bodies, so that this new legislation is not abused to perpetuate past inequalities.”