South Africa has 17,450 empty teacher posts.
Not 17,450 teachers who couldn't be found.
17,450 posts that simply weren't filled.
Here's what makes it worse.
The Department of Basic Education's own National Recruitment Database has 12,700 qualified, unemployed educators actively looking for work right now. Trained teachers. Ready to teach. Sitting at home.
So this isn't a skills shortage. It's a system failure.
While those posts sit empty, South African learners are paying the price. Over 50% of primary school children are taught in classes of more than 40 pupils. Some Gauteng classrooms have 60 to 70 learners per teacher. KwaZulu-Natal averages 39 learners per teacher. These aren't schools.
They're holding pens.
The remaining teachers aren't doing fine either. Research from Stellenbosch University found that 44% of Grade R to Grade 12 teachers feel burned out "always or very often." Nearly half are considering leaving the profession within the next decade. And over 30,000 already left in just five years.
The pipeline is ageing too.
About 49% of current public school teachers are 50 or older. Retirement is coming. Fast.
We keep asking why matric results are what they are. Why Grade 4 learners can't read.
Why the system underperforms year after year.
The answer is standing right in front of us.
You can't build human capital in a classroom with 70 kids and one exhausted teacher.
BREAKING NEWS: โThe Four of Usโ which was set to debut on eTV from 29 June, has been sold to NETFLIX.
#TheFourOfUs led by Sโdumo Mtshali, Sindi Dlathu and Thembinkosi Mthembu, and produced by @TshedzaPictures will air daily on both @netflix and eTV, starting Monday.๐๐ฝ๐ฌ
Guys, as ActionSA in Gauteng, we can reveal that the Department of Economic Development does not know of any Spaza Shop owner in Gauteng who has been funded from the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund.
This means either no one was funded in Gauteng, or the Department of Small Business Development does not want to share information with the provincial government.
SOUTH AFRICA is a fucking miracle, and BEING SOUTH AFRICAN is a fucking honor and a privilege. Donโt let anyone ever tell you any other nonsense!!!! ๐ฟ๐ฆ๐ฏ
A new security company is currently being registered, and it will benefit from that R600 million for just patrolling a mall for less than 8 hours ๐๐ผ.
@MTNza Please quantify shortly for me. Iโve been waiting since 09:06 AM, and have been told the same since 09:40ish. It is unreasonable to expect me to wait for a simple recharge to reflect
Dear @RonaldLamola as a South African we watched your interview where you boldly said that South African youth should learn to travel more. so my question is , where should the youth get the funds to travel like you said when the Unemployment rate went high under the leadership that you are in ?
Also Ronald you are doing that travelling with taxpayers money donโt act brand new on us respectfully . Stop being tone deaf and you constantly do that . So get out and touch the grass.
AD BREAK:
@Stellarated where is the 500 million spaza shop funds
There are pirated copies of #ThePolygamist being sold at Affordable Books in Nairobi along Ronald Ngala Street. I know the book is in demand & I'm working to make it available there through a reputable supplier. Copyright infringement is a crime. Don't support the violation!