Mondays and Fridays are the most “popular” days on which the majority of teachers take leave from school while on average 20-24 days are lost to leave taking by each teacher.
This was revealed this week in a report released by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on Educator Leave in the South African Ordinary Public Schooling System.
According to Dr. Vijay Reddy, who led the research team, the report was commissioned by the department of basic education to get empirical data on how many days of teaching are lost due to leave taken by teachers.
She said this information will help the department of basic education to improve the provision of quality education, which is one of government’s key priority areas — and the only way to achieve this is when both teachers and learners are “in school and class”.
Reddy said because studies on teacher leave have not been undertaken before in South Africa, the ‘administrative data from schools is incomplete’. This, she said, compelled them to estimate the extent of teacher leave by ‘using proxy measures from other studies’.
In high-income countries, the study shows, with sound administrative systems in place, the extent of teacher leave is easily monitored and substitute teachers are easily organized to fill in for the absent teacher. But, the report further noted, in low-income countries this is not easy to determine because the administrative data is incomplete and untrustworthy.
Representatives from teacher unions, school governing bodies, universities, including the research division of the department, formed a reference committee for the study.
The research’s main brief was to look into: the extent, patterns, reasons, recording and administration and management of educator leave in South African ordinary public schools.
The methodology employed to investigate these issues involved a review of relevant policy documents related to teacher leave, analysis of the Persal system (the electronic payment method used by various government departments), existing data as well as visiting 50 schools and district offices around the country.
The study defines leave as a teacher being away from school in accordance with measures stipulated in the conditions of service for professional development activities; on official duty and participation in school activities like sports and excursions.
It said the common reason cited by teachers when taking leave is sickness, followed by “urgent private matters” and “family responsibilities”. Reddy said constitutionally and in terms of labour relations teachers have the right to take leave but this should be managed in such a manner that it does not infringe on learners’ rights to quality education.
The report’s main findings are:
- On average between 20 and 24 days a year of regular teaching time are being lost by each teacher
- There are variations with regard to teacher leave rates between provinces and there is a link between individual school leave rates and poverty. Leave rates are highest where socio-environmental conditions such as poverty are high.
- Analysis from school visits estimate that around 20% — 25% of the time when teachers are away from school they are on official duties — mainly curriculum workshops and that principals are away from school most of the time because of the high number of meetings called by district or provincial officials.
- Time taken away from school on official commitments, however important, could impact negatively on teaching and learning. This is more acute in smaller and more under-resources schools.
- The Persal system under-records estimated teacher leave rates and this may be due to teachers not completing leave forms or forms are completed but not captured electronically.
- While schools have followed correct procedures with regard to leave taking, principals have not “engaged with the strategic management of leave taking” with a view to reducing the extent of leave.
The research recommends the reduction of the number of leave days linked to professional development activities and workshops. This could be achieved by making sure provinces better co-ordinate their requests and that activities take place outside teaching hours. Furthermore, it is recommended that the number of days that principals are way from school on official business be capped. “As the principal is the central figure who manages the school, his or her being away for a number of days will negatively affect the smooth functioning of the school, the report explains.
Other recommendations are that schools must manage the high levels of taking leave particularly on Mondays and Fridays and they must also ensure that they strategically monitor leave- taking patterns to make sure these are not abused.
The report also says that systems to record leave onto Persal should be improved.