SADTU unhappy with the recovery programme
15 September 2010
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has raised concern and expressed disappointment at the announcement of the recovery programme by the Department of Education. The programme, announced by the Council of Education Ministers, is targeting only Grade 12s and no mention is made of other grades.
As SADTU, we believe that such a narrow approach to the recovery process will further perpetuate the high failure rate in Grade 12 in years to come as it will rob those in lower grades of proper grounding to prepare them for Grade 12.
It has always been our belief that passing Grade 12 was largely dependent on good preparation at lower levels. Therefore, a proper recovery programme will require that all grades receive the same kind of attention as Grade 12.
We are also deeply concerned over the fact that this announcement was made whilst negotiations between the department and the unions over the recovery programme were still on. Such action by the Department of Education does very little towards building trust and fostering a good working relationship with the Department of Education.
Our members are keen to be part and parcel of the recovery plans but are being brushed aside. We have indicated that we are keen to work during the holidays.
We urge the Department of Education to treat us as real stakeholders in education and not the stooges to rubberstamp its decisions. On the current crisis with preliminary exams:
SADTU calls upon the minister and the department to discuss the concerns raised by COSAS and find an amicable solution in the interest of education as a whole. We believe that each learner must be afforded the opportunity to learn and sit for examinations in a conducive environment.
We also wish to send our deepest and sincerest condolences to the family of the learner who died tragically fighting for the right to learn and write examinations in the Free State and condemn the brutality of the police on unarmed students.
On the No Work No Pay deductions by Western Cape and North West Provinces:
The actions of these two provinces are provocative and must be condemned. The implementation of no work no pay without providing Unions with data at the PELRC is unprocedural and inaccurate. These deductions must be reversed with immediate effect.
Issued by: SADTU Secretariat