The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is facing the looming challenge of filling the teaching positions of educators meant to retire within the next 10 years.
Half of South Africa's educators are currently in their 50s; the retirement age is 60, meaning a new influx of educators to take their place and continue teaching in South Africa's schools is needed.
The large number of retiring educators will impact the number of teachers remaining in South African schools, as well as have an impact on the already overcrowded classrooms.
Teaching is a popular qualification university students are pursuing. In addition, the government has introduced initiatives such as the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) to provide unemployed youth with teaching assistant jobs for a few months.
Despite the buzzing Education Department, South Africa still somehow has a lack of educators.
To account for the loss of teachers due to the approaching retirement age, current new appointments of teachers in public schools may have to almost double. This means South African universities will have to double their current output of qualified teachers to cope, and hopefully combat, the loss.
"At the moment we are producing 6 000 teachers as an education system every year and by the year 2030, that will be about 50 000 teachers that will be added to sustain the current teachers," says Julian Hewitt, CEO of the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship.
South Africa's education system is facing a shortage of teachers in the classrooms, but there is no shortage of qualified teachers; they simply aren't finding employment.
In April 2021, Department of Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said there were "over 24 000 available teacher's posts."
But, going against the Minister's statement, frustrated unemployed teachers with years of experience under their belts say there is no shortage of teachers, there just aren't enough teaching posts available.
"The reality is that there are not enough posts available for the large number of unemployed teachers seeking positions, yet there are schools operating with 50-60 learners in one class,” said one concerned teacher.
Refuting these claims, DBE Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said that only in specific areas of teaching is there a shortage of educators, including Mathematics, Science, Technology and African languages.
"There is an oversupply of teachers in other areas,” said Mhlanga in February of 2022.
Another issue raised by concerned and unemployed teachers is the fact that those employed by the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative are meant to be without qualifications and/or working towards one.
Yet, some people occupying Teacher's Assistant positions are in possession of teaching qualifications, are studying at university, or are without either, but they are getting first preference when teaching vacancies open instead of qualified teachers with years experience.
In addition, it is alleged that teaching vacancies are no longer being advertised as Teaching Assistants are considered for the job first.
In response to those claims, Mhlanga stated that there was a misunderstanding.
"Education assistants are not teachers and they do not take the job of teachers instead they support teachers already there." He continued, saying the protocol is simple: advertise, receive applications, select qualifying people for shortlisting, conduct interviews, and hire suitable candidates.
