The South African Democratic Teachers' Union in Free State is enthusiastically awaiting the budget speech by MEC for Education, Dr Tate Makgoe on 25 March 2021. Unlike the State of Province of Address that did not speak to many issues affecting schools including the plight of ECD/Grade R practitioners, we expect the MEC to pronounce on the following:

SADTU in KZN has observed that other provinces are extending the contracts of teaching assistants and general assistants employed in schools under the Education Employment Initiative (EEI). The initial contract end date was the 31st March 2021. We have noted that some provinces are extending to March 2022, while others extend to December 2021.

The South African Teachers’ Union in North West (SADTU NW) welcomes the matric results of 2020 and congratulate both the learners and teachers for the good performance. The Province notes that whilst there is a significant drop of 10, 6% as compared to the 2019 results, the class of 2020 demonstrated resilience, determination and hard work as the circumstances were very difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) welcomes the 2020 National Senior Certificate (Matric) results.  The decline in the pass rate, compared to the 2019’s 81,3%, does not come as a surprise following the disruptions experienced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Class deserves our outmost praise for enduring the most challenging year.

The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) in Mpumalanga is shocked to learn that Grade R practitioners were not paid their salaries this month.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) notes and welcomes the Department of Basic Education’s decision to delay the opening of schools from the 27^th of January and allow the learners on the 15^th of February depending on the virus’ behavior during the two-week delay.  However, the SADTU does not agree with the call for educators and SMTs to report for duty from the 25^th of January. The unions were not consulted.

SADTU is saddened by the untimely passing of Superintendent General, Cde Temba Kojana. This is a devastating blow to our Union because as the province, we had had to work with acting HODs until his appointment. It is with immense sorrow that we mourn the untimely passing Cde Temba who was a founding member of SADTU.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has received with great shock and sadness the reports about the passing on of the General Secretary of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), Cde Koena Wilson Ramotlou on the 2^nd of January 2021. This happens just after he was elected as the General Secretary at  SAMWU’s 12^th National Congress last month and hardly a week after we lost the sitting General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

The South African Democratic Teachers Union in the North West (SADTU NW) has learned with great shock, the horrific and fatal taxi accident on Friday 11 th December 2020 that took the lives of three Grade 12 learners from Rethusegile Secondary School in Lethabong Village near Rustenburg. The three met the accident on the way from attending attending an “After examination celebration”.