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The DA calls on KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Education MEC, Mbali Frazer and her HOD Nkosinathi Ngcobo to urgently intervene as ongoing and severe teacher shortages lead to protest action at several schools in the province.

The disruptions come hot on the heels of the DA’s exposé that there are 31 462 teacher vacancies at public schools across the country, with KZN recording the highest number at 7 044.

According to media reports, learning and teaching at Elwazi High School in Highflats on KZN’s South Coast ground to a halt earlier today after learners and parents closed the gates of the school in protest over a lack of teachers.

This school has some 400 students yet there are allegedly only six teachers, with learners stating that there are times when they don’t have any teachers for a whole week while Grade 8 to 10 learners also claim that they do not have Creative Arts, Isizulu, English, Consumer Studies, Economics and Social Science teachers.

This, despite Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube promising to fill these vacancies last year. The Premier is also on record as having said that all vacancies in KZN schools would be filled by 15 January – a deadline that has long since passed.

The DA commiserates with these young people who are being denied the opportunity of a quality education and who have, along with their parents, had to take drastic action in order to be heard.

According to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) current Post Provisioning Norm (PPN) (view here) there should be at least 10 educators at this school. The DA expects MEC Frazer to explain why this is not the case and when she will remedy the situation.

Regrettably, this is not the only school to be shut down today. At KwaNqundu Combined School in Nkandla parents and learners surrounded the school, protesting and demanding that KZN’s Department of Education (DoE) employ more teachers as well.

The current situation is an indictment on a feckless MEC and her department. The irony is that there are many fully qualified teachers sitting at home in KZN. Sadly, the DoE lacks the ability to make anything work properly.

On 29 May, the people of KZN will have the opportunity to rescue our province when they go to the polls and vote for a new government committed to ensuring quality education for all. MEC Frazer and her Taliban faction of the ANC are ruining our children’s futures.

Issued by Dr Imran Keeka, MPL - DA KZN Spokesperson on Education