The administrators are members of a task team installed after Sadtu’s national executive committee (NEC) disbanded the provincial executive committee (PEC) last year for supporting expelled Sadtu president Thobile Ntola and Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
Q: Teachers have been blamed for the poor matric results last year. The majority of teachers are affiliated to Sadtu. What’s your comment?
ZAMISA: It’s regrettable to be viewed as responsible for the dismal performance.
Some of the pupils did not have a teacher in front of them for the first five months and that is not the responsibility of Sadtu.
We are not putting the blame on anyone, but there are responsibilities. If there’s an assessment that we did not finish the syllabus, we will take responsibility for that.
Not all pupils were taught throughout the year.
Q: Why were not all pupils taught last year?
ZAMISA: The department did not provide support to teachers last year. It did not employ enough subject advisors and education development officers to monitor schools.
I take exception to those in power who are so quick to blame teachers whenever the results are not going right.
MDINGI: We don’t take kindly to talk that this is a result of the failure of teachers.
The department introduced a policy on progressed learners which was not catered for by the provincial department’s learner attainment strategy.
This impacted on results because of shortsightedness. The department is reactive rather than proactive.
Q: What has Sadtu done to ensure teachers are in class on time? This is one of the allegations that are being made, that your members are not doing their jobs.
MDINGI: We did not have labour unrest last year. The blame cannot be on Sadtu. If that is this case, it means that the departmental officials are not doing their jobs. It’s their job to ensure that teachers are at school doing their jobs.
Q: Sadtu has been one of the unions fingered in a draft report compiled by Professor John Volmnik after Minister Angie Motshekga set up a task team to investigate allegations into selling and buying of teaching jobs. What’s the province’s take on this matter?
ZAMISA: Sadtu EC distances itself and our members from the alleged incidents of selling and buying of posts. Sadtu is going to respond through the NEC.
Q: What is the task team’s comment on allegations and perceptions that you are the lapdogs of president Jacob Zuma’s administration?
MDINGI: Those allegations are baseless and unfounded and this union had taken an approach to negotiate without becoming rude.
We will not be made to be rude. We are professionals. We cannot be made to stoop that low. Our approach is not to shadow anybody who has been in this office before us.
Q: When is your term coming to an end?
ZAMISA: The task team will dissolve when work had been completed in the regions and the date of the provincial conference had been announced by the NEC.
Sadtu task team ready
Q: Teachers have been blamed for the poor matric results last year. The majority of teachers are affiliated to Sadtu. What’s your comment?
ZAMISA: It’s regrettable to be viewed as responsible for the dismal performance.
Some of the pupils did not have a teacher in front of them for the first five months and that is not the responsibility of Sadtu.
We are not putting the blame on anyone, but there are responsibilities. If there’s an assessment that we did not finish the syllabus, we will take responsibility for that.
Not all pupils were taught throughout the year.
Q: Why were not all pupils taught last year?
ZAMISA: The department did not provide support to teachers last year. It did not employ enough subject advisors and education development officers to monitor schools.
I take exception to those in power who are so quick to blame teachers whenever the results are not going right.
MDINGI: We don’t take kindly to talk that this is a result of the failure of teachers.
The department introduced a policy on progressed learners which was not catered for by the provincial department’s learner attainment strategy.
This impacted on results because of shortsightedness. The department is reactive rather than proactive.
Q: What has Sadtu done to ensure teachers are in class on time? This is one of the allegations that are being made, that your members are not doing their jobs.
MDINGI: We did not have labour unrest last year. The blame cannot be on Sadtu. If that is this case, it means that the departmental officials are not doing their jobs. It’s their job to ensure that teachers are at school doing their jobs.
Q: Sadtu has been one of the unions fingered in a draft report compiled by Professor John Volmnik after Minister Angie Motshekga set up a task team to investigate allegations into selling and buying of teaching jobs. What’s the province’s take on this matter?
ZAMISA: Sadtu EC distances itself and our members from the alleged incidents of selling and buying of posts. Sadtu is going to respond through the NEC.
Q: What is the task team’s comment on allegations and perceptions that you are the lapdogs of president Jacob Zuma’s administration?
MDINGI: Those allegations are baseless and unfounded and this union had taken an approach to negotiate without becoming rude.
We will not be made to be rude. We are professionals. We cannot be made to stoop that low. Our approach is not to shadow anybody who has been in this office before us.
Q: When is your term coming to an end?
ZAMISA: The task team will dissolve when work had been completed in the regions and the date of the provincial conference had been announced by the NEC.
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