Teachers sit unemployed as over 31 000 teaching posts lie vacant (VIDEO)

While thousands of teaching graduates sit at home unemployed, the education department has confirmed there are over 31 400 empty teaching posts at schools across the country.

This was revealed by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in a recent parliamentary response.

KwaZulu-Natal has the largest amount of vacancies with 7 044, followed by Eastern Cape (4 497).

The Northern Cape has the least vacancies (726).

READ MORE: WATCH: Mpumalanga teachers protest over safety issues at schools

Gauteng has 3 898 vacancies. This is less than the 4 497 vacancies in the Western Cape.

Plan to vacancies

Motshekga said the filling of vacant posts at schools was an ongoing process to ensure that there is no class without a teacher.

“For Post Level One vacancies, schools are allowed to recruit at a local level and immediately as the vacancy occurs and make temporary appointments.

“These appointments are then made permanent upon ensuring that the educator meets the requirements of the post.

ALSO READ: Pupil who shot principal targeted other teachers as well – Gauteng Education MEC

“By law, a temporary appointment in a vacant substantive post must be made permanent after three months. In the case of promotional posts, schools are allowed to make acting appointments, especially for critical posts such as those of departmental heads and principal, while the formal recruitment and selection process is undertaken.”

In order to deal with the increased workload from vacant posts, schools are allowed to appoint temporary educators until a position has been filled, said the minister.

Just ‘the tip of the iceberg’

The DA said vacancies were making already challenging learning environments more difficult.

“Unfilled vacancies see classroom overcrowding, which explains why some schools have up to 70 pupils sharing one teacher.

Watch a recent protest by teachers over school conditions and safety:

“Unfilled vacancies, however, are just the tip of the iceberg, as public schools are significantly short of infrastructure.

“Pupils are forced to sit in unsafe classrooms, use pit latrines, as well as share furniture, textbooks, and stationery. These lead to terrible educational outcomes for children, as 81% of grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning,” said DA MP Baxolile Nodada.