Why is it necessary to strike? Because once again there is a wide gap between words and the execution! Our teachers are different to the public service where when they work to rule such as last week, there is actually an increase in output. They are responsible for preparing the future of our country.
In the words of Trevor Manuel, our esteemed Finance minister
“Madam Speaker, our teachers are the frontline of our education system. It is in their hands that we place our 11 million children each day. In most cases, our teachers do a sterling job under difficult conditions. We pay tribute to them and we ask no more than that they continue to serve with dedication and integrity. We also know that a minority of teachers do not prepare their lessons adequately, are frequently late and are unfit to be in the position where they are asked to nurture children. We cannot let the minority of teachers denigrate a profession based on love for children and a desire for learning.”
“Over the next three years, we are making available an additional R8,1 billion to hire additional teachers, teaching assistants and support staff in schools and districts and to improve remuneration levels of teachers. The many people who submitted suggestions to the Tips for Trevor campaign will be pleased to hear this. The Minister of Education will lead the process of determining how these resources should be used, focusing on the need to reward good teachers, provide support to poor schools and improve the quality of schooling in general. We are also setting aside R700 million for bursaries for teachers to encourage young people to train as teachers and to pursue careers in our public schooling system. This should benefit about 13 000 teachers over the next three years. Together with resources set aside.”
