378 teachers to be employed by Lim Education Dept before end March

POLOKWANE -A total of 378 unemployed teachers, between the ages of 30 years old and younger, will receive appointment letters by the end of this month from the Limpopo Department of Education. This is to meet the 2 000 target to employ new teachers by the department.

Their income for the next financial year will derive from a portion of the department’s overall R40.029b budget allocation for the 2024/25 financial year. This move is to maintain the improved 79.5% 2023 National Senior Certificate result. R27.773b is earmarked for salaries.

The province, is the most improved province in the country, with a 7.4% increase from 2022.

This information was revealed in by MEC, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya during her budget speech last Thursday, at the Municipal Council Chambers. She said the teachers from part of the department’s collaboration of absorption, with funding schemes after student teachers acquired tertiary education – helped to improve the pass rate.

In the last fiscal year, 1 622 teachers, in the same age group were appointed in the province, an increase of 247 teachers compared to the previous financial year.

In the period still under review, the department also appointed 200 principals, 53 deputy principals, and 141 departmental heads.

“Provincial Treasury has approved the appointment of 2 550 promotion vacancies in schools, 506 principals, 400 deputy principals and 1 644 departmental heads, which will come into effect on April 1, as part of the recruitment for the 2024/25 financial year,” she said.

There are also fewer, underperforming schools, Lerule-Ramakhanya added, from 440 in 2022 to 310 in 2023, indicating that only 196 schools out of 440 had underperformed.

The 32 underperforming circuits have now been reduced to 19.

She mentioned that 129 784 children were enrolled for Early Childhood Development education during the 2023 academic year and were accommodated at 3 936 centres across Limpopo.