Cape Winelands schoolsâ Covid-19 cases rise
By Francesca Villette
Share
Cape Town â The Cape Winelands has emerged an area of concern as at least seven schools had to be decontaminated over the past week, while Covid-19 infections continue to spike.
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said provincially there were 34 active cases of learners who tested positive for the coronavirus, and 36 teachers and non-teaching staff .
This is an increase from May 10 when there were 18 cases of teacher and non-teaching staff infections, and 15 learner cases.
âAll cases have been in the Cape Winelands. All cases (except Stellenbosch HS) have reported only one positive case at their school. Not multiple cases,â Hammond said.
KZN makes head-start in addressing shortage of teachers
Share
THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, together with teachersâ unions, says it has developed a mechanism to ensure the deployment of educators from Monday.
In a statement, the department said it has identified 961 surplus educators, through the process of the Post Provision Norm. About 700 of these educators had not moved to the identified schools as of Friday.
On Friday, the department and union representatives discussed plans on how this would be facilitated to ensure that schools were staffed.
âThe department has since the beginning of this year appointed 521 new educators through the HR recruitment app. All redeployed and appointed educators are required to assume their duties from Monday, May 3, 2021 .
Four classrooms and a resource centre at a school went up in smoke on Sunday.
Two people have been arrested for arson and burglary.
The Eastern Cape education department said the damage amounted to R113 477.
Two individuals, one of which is a pupil, have been arrested by the Eastern Cape police for breaking into Wilson Mayekiso Junior Secondary School in Tsomo.
They stole food which was meant to feed learners, after which the school building was set alight.
The fire destroyed four classrooms and a resource centre.
The Eastern Cape education department said the damage caused by the fire amounted to R113 477.
Naptosa blames shortage of 24 000 teachers on education departmentâs inefficiency
Share
THE National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) says the shortage of teachers, by 24 556, is a result of the education departmentâs inefficiency.
Naptosa executive director Basil Manuel said: âIts administrative inefficiency is at its worst. Our education departments and provincial departments are getting worse by the day. They are constantly giving these glowing reports of how well everything is going but, obviously, this is not so.â
Manuel was responding to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekgaâs announcement that there were 24 000 vacancies spread across schools in all provinces.
KZN Education employment app frustrates unemployed graduates
By Anelisa Kubheka
Share
Durban - FRUSTRATED unemployed education graduates have reached out to teacher unions in a bid to get answers on “the fickle app” for unemployed qualified teachers launched by the provincial Department of Education.
Last week, the Daily News reported that the KZN Qualified Educators App had allegedly not been working for some time, however the department denied this saying the problems were resolved.
A group of unemployed education graduates met with the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) on Monday over frustration regarding the app.
Provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said since schools opened in January they have been fighting and raising the issue of this app with the department. The app, launched in February last year, registers users as employers or applicants. Applicants register using their personal details, including their qualifications and academic record.