The IFP calls for an urgent investigation to ascertain the magnitude of the problem of educators with fraudulent qualifications.
A thirty-six-year-old former KwaZulu-Natal school teacher – who allegedly submitted a false National Diploma in Education – was charged with fraud in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, and released on R2 000 bail.
First and foremost, the KZN Department of Education must shoulder some of the blame for allowing teachers with fraudulent qualifications to infiltrate the education system. This clearly indicates that the vetting systems are in need of urgent review, as they appear to be open to manipulation. We therefore call for a thorough investigation into how this teacher was employed, and why his fraudulent qualifications were not detected. All these questions must be answered by the MEC for Education, Kwazi Mshengu.
The IFP believes that this provides an ideal opportunity for the relevant authorities to implement tangible mechanisms to prevent unqualified people from entering the teaching profession, as teachers with fraudulent qualifications destroy children’s futures.
The role played by qualified educators in the provision of quality education is one of the cornerstones of our education sector. This is why those without the proper credentials cannot be tolerated. Quality teaching leads to quality education, and this must become the norm in all schools in KwaZulu-Natal.
Anyone found to be using fraudulent qualifications must be held accountable for their actions. They must be arrested and charged, they must return any money earned from teaching, and their pensions must be forfeited.
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Contact:
Mrs Thembeni KaMdlopha Mthethwa, MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson for Education
071 884 3844