Mpumalanga and North West have spent R166-million on strike recovery measures, Education Minister Naledi Pandor told the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday.
Replying to oral questions, Pandor said Mpumalanga had spent R96-million on teacher remuneration for Saturday and holiday classes.
”The funds come from the existing communications budget, and additional funds have been requested from the provincial treasury,” she said.
”North West has spent R70-million on teacher remuneration and additional learner support material. Additional funds have been sourced from the provincial treasury.”
Pandor said the total cost of the programme had not been determined as activities were still going on.
So far, Gauteng had not incurred additional costs. KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces were having difficulties negotiating with unions on the amount of additional teaching time to be spent on the recovery plan.
She said no funds were initially available to support the recovery plan.
”Once it became apparent that the strike was likely to be a protracted one, the plan needed to be implemented on an urgent basis, without the normal lead times allowed for procurement and distribution of materials.”
Pandor said in some cases, the budgeted funds of the National Strategy for Learner Attainment were used, with the strategy being intensified in support of the recovery plan.
She said savings from personnel costs during the strike would be reprioritised, with treasury approval, to fund spring schools.
Pandor pointed out that the strike had delayed the planned July implementation of a plan for performance management-based employment of school principals, which was now likely to have come into force in January.
Responding to another question, Pandor said her department had taken steps to increase the number of high school maths and science teachers by recruiting teachers who had a break in service — including those who had taken voluntary severance packages.
”These educators are also now eligible for permanent appointment,” she said.
”Provincial education departments are advised not only to recruit these educators, but also to give preference to younger educators who are about to enter the teaching profession.
”Young South African teachers living and teaching abroad are recruited via the normal recruitment policy. They are welcome to apply for any educator post advertised.”
Pandor said there was no record at the moment of how many of them were teaching abroad.
She said 1 432 foreign teachers had been employed by the provincial education departments in the past two years with the recruitment of 2 000 more in the works.
”These educators will be employed in areas or schools where there is a shortage of mathematics and science teachers.”
Pandor said an increase in the number of teachers depended on a significant increase in the number of new graduate teachers.
She said R700-million had been allocated to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) over three years for loans to student teachers, with a specific concentration on maths and science.
Plans to retain these scarce skills included incentives — such as increased remuneration — to be implemented from January.
Pandor also told the NCOP the country’s 404 special schools had 87 866 pupils and 7 294 teachers — but not all of them appropriately qualified, amid a shortage of therapists and other health professionals. – Sapa