Vice-President (Education)

Comrade Faseega Solomon has been a member of SADTU since its inception in 1990. Her involvement in the trade union movement began in her student days in the 1987, as a final year student at Hewat College of Education when she joined WECTU (one of the many teacher unions that formed SADTU). Her involvement in WECTU led her to become a delegate at the historic launch of SADTU in Johannesburg in 1990.

Cde Solomon began her teaching career in 1988 at Manenberg High School where she taught Natural Sciences and (Biology) Life Sciences. Cde Solomon participated in a project that provided exemplar video recordings of experiments in Biology for use at schools with no Biology Labs and equipment to do the experiments.

She joined the structures of SADTU at Manenberg High School where she served as Site steward. She was then elected as branch education convener of the Athlone East branch. She served as regional education convener of the Inland Region. During the 2010 Western Cape Provincial General Council (PGC), Cde Solomon was elected as Provincial Education convener for the province and was re-elected during the 2011 and 2016 Provincial Conferences. During her tenure as provincial education convener, Cde Solomon served in many provincial structures in collaboration with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). She also served as a member of the Schooling Chamber of the ETDP SETA from 2011 to 2018. She represents SADTU in the Education Labour Relation Council's Early Childhood and Development (ELRC ECD) work stream.

During the 9th National Congress held in September 2019, Cde Solomon was elected as SADTU Vice President (Education). As Vice President for Education, Cde Solomon undertakes and commits to execute SADTU's decisions and policies in the
interest of members and to contribute constructively towards the realisation of the Union's strategic goals as set out in the 2030 vision.

She will endeavour to provide meaningful and effective guidance to provincial education conveners with the aim of developing informed and prepared teachers nationally. She believes that the SADTU Curtis Nkondo Professional Development Institute (SCNPDI) will continue to play its effective role in building dedicated and intellectually astute leaders in our schools. She has a strong conviction that teachers should grow to become leaders of their craft and will endeavour to encourage teachers to participate in the ongoing development of the curriculum in order to create learners who can compete as global citizens.

She will undertake to facilitate the broadening of the existing framework for national teacher and curriculum development through expanding and strengthening relationships with stakeholders in education that will improve the educational landscape. She is passionate about the union's contribution to influence and enhance education policies which are underscored by SADTU's own research.

Cde Solomon shall endeavour to constantly promote the constructive involvement of SADTU in creating safer environments for learners and teachers in every school.