Limpopo education department to re-employ retired tutors
“The department intends to compile a comprehensive database of these retirees that will be used in engaging them.”
BURGERSFORT- The Limpopo Education Department is considering re-employing retired maths and science teachers at public schools in order to improve the pass rate in these subjects. The move is still subject to approval by legislature.
Education MEC, Ms Thembi Nwendamutswu said on August 28, that the province still needed their expertise and wealth of knowledge. She highlighted they would be redeployed in areas experiencing teacher shortages.
“The department intends to compile a comprehensive database of these retirees that will be used in engaging them.”
Nwendamutswu also pledged to revive the declining maths, science and technology college (Mastec) established in Seshego outside Polokwane more than 10 years ago to train teachers in these subjects.
She admitted that Mastec was not fully functional.
“This financial year, 1 540 teachers will undergo residential continuous professional development in mathematics, science, technology and commercial subjects at Mastec and its satellite centres,” said Nwendamutswu.
The MEC said they might need a special dispensation to keep these teachers within the system so that the department optimally benefitted from their experience and skills.
The MEC delivered her department’s R24, 965 billion budget speech – the biggest of the departments in the province.
The lion’s share of the budget – R20,406 billion – will go towards paying salaries. A total of R2,177 billion was allocated for goods and services.
Nwendamutswu said R518 million was budgeted for learning and teaching support material such as textbooks for next year.
About R1 billion of conditional grants had also been set aside to feed 1,6 million pupils in no-fee schools.
Independent schools, those that have not registered as profit-making entities, received a budget of R112 million. Public special schools got R379,6 million. Another R1,2 million will go towards buying Braille embossers for blind pupils. Adult education and training have received R154,7 million. Nwendamutswu also allocated R9,5 million to her ministerial office.
Meanwhile Steelburger/Lydenburg News has learnt that the province is still experiencing a textbook crisis. According to our reliable sources, Ramalawane Secondary School in Ga-Mphahlele village lacks more than 105 textbooks for maths, physical science, geography, Sepedi and life orientation.
Our source also indicated that the lack of books affected pupils from grade nine to 11.
