Cape Town - As the Department of Basic Education prepares for the start of the 2023 school year, it should seriously address the challenge of overcrowded classrooms by employing more teachers and school principals.
It is crucial to deal decisively with the critical shortage of teachers in our schools. If this looming educational crisis is not addressed urgently, poor educational outcomes will be the order of the day.
According to the findings of the Teacher Demographic Dividend project, a growing number of teachers have retired or are facing retirement by 2029.
According to the study, in 2013 a total of 7 300 teachers retired compared with 12 500 in 2021, while 17 300 educators are due to retire in 2029, which will leave the education sector critically short of staff in the years ahead.
The report further reveals that the teacher shortage is not caused by the fact that universities are not producing enough educators, but rather because provincial departments of basic education are not hiring enough graduates.
“To maintain the current number of teachers – let alone increase the number – the country will need to employ an additional 6 000 teachers,” the report read.
What is particularly disappointing to observe, the study said, is that while the number of teachers is decreasing, the number of learners is increasing each year.
There is no doubt that the teacher/learner ratio will continue to increase as the department intensifies its drive to encourage learners to remain in the school system until they receive a matric certificate.
If the government is serious about delivering quality education, the employment of teachers should become its urgent priority.
Over-crowded classrooms are not ideal for the delivery of quality education, as teachers are not able to dedicate their time to the challenges facing each learner.
There are no shortcuts to solving the current challenge, the government must employ well-qualified and competent teachers.
Cape Times