19 July 2010

Almost one third of all science teachers employed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education are unqualified, while the department’s measures to rectify this situation are insufficient, a response to a parliamentary question has revealed. 

“As many as 9 229 out of the province’s 34 968 science teachers currently lack formal qualifications to teach science subjects,” said IFP MPL Roman Liptak who posed the question to the MEC for Education Senzo Mchunu in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. 

The formal qualifications that are considered a prerequisite for teaching science in both GET and FET bands by the department are either a four-year Bachelor of Education degree or a relevant three-year Bachelor’s degree followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.  

The reply to the IFP’s question further revealed that out of the 9 229 unqualified science teachers 1 130 teachers only have matric without any further training, 925 teachers have matric with one or two years of further training, and 7 174 have a Bachelor’s degree without the required Postgraduate Certificate in Education. 

“These numbers are disconcerting considering the province’s dismal matric pass rate for science subjects, while there is a broad correlation between the distribution of unqualified and under-qualified science teachers and underperforming geographical areas,” said Liptak. 

The reply also identified Vryheid (252 unqualified, 1084 under-qualified), Othukela (139 unqualified, 754 under-qualified), and Umzinyathi (116 unqualified, 606 under-qualified) as the top three education districts with the highest numbers of unqualified and under-qualified science teachers. 

“While the department is assisting unqualified and under-qualified science teachers with courses aimed at improving their formal qualifications, the number of teachers registered for these programmes is grossly insufficient,” said Liptak. 

The courses on offer lead to a National Professional Diploma in Education for unqualified teachers and an Advanced Certificate in Education for under-qualified teachers. In the 2009/2010 financial year only 376 unqualified teachers registered for the NPDE, while a total of 397 under-qualified teachers pursued various supplementary courses to improve their qualifications. 
 

Contact:
Roman Liptak
078 302 0929