Schools hit by teacher shortages

A number of schools in the Transkei were short of teachers for maths and science, according to a report.

Various education department districts in the region said that despite schools reopening yesterday, there were still a number of vacancies for critical subjects like maths, physical science and accounting, the Dispatch Online reported today.

Ngqeleni district was one of the hardest hit, with about 800 vacant posts.

Other districts in dire need of teachers included Ngcobo and Mount Frere.

Loyiso Pulumani, Eastern Cape education spokesman, said while a number schools were facing teacher shortages other schools were overstaffed with teachers.

The department would advertise schools with teacher vacancies so that teachers could move from the over-staffed schools and fill the posts, Pumulani told the publication.

Meanwhile, private school attendance rose by 87% between 2000 and 2011.

Parents were losing faith in public schools, where enrolment only grew by 13% in the same period, reported Business Day, quoting from the SA Institute of Race Relations’ latest survey.

According to the survey, the number of private schools grew from 971 to 1486 between 2000 and 2011.

However, the proportion of pupils in private schools remained at four percent of children enrolled in the education system.

- Sapa