NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 887
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 01/08/2014
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07/2014)
Ms D van der Walt (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) (a) What are the details of the educator posts allocated to the
Pearston Primary School in the Eastern Cape for the 2014
academic year and (b) which posts are currently filled;
(2) by what date will Pearston Primary School have all of itsâ
educator posts filled;
(3) what challenges her officials in the Eastern Cape have faced
that have precluded the filling of all posts at this school;
(4) what measures, including funding, her officials have put in
place to allow learning to continue to take place at the school
in the absence of the required teacher complement;
(5) how does she intend to ensure that teachers and learners are
supported to recover from the â(a) period of inadequate teaching
and (b) stress caused by having to deal with oversized classes
and concomitant problems? NW976E
REPLY
1) (a) The posts allocated to the Pearston Primary School for the
2014 academic year.
1 Principal
1 Deputy Principal
2 Heads of Department
15 Educators
(b) Posts currently filled are as follows
1 Principal
1 Deputy Principal
2 Heads of Department
7 Educators
2. The school will fill the 8 vacant teaching posts as soon as it is
able to source suitably qualified educators.
3. Challenges are related to the inability to recruit suitably qualified
educators.
4. Approval was granted by the Eastern Cape Provincial Education Head of
Department to fund and fill the 8 (eight) vacant Post Level 1 posts at
the school.
5. (a) The Curriculum personnel (Subject Advisors) supported the school
during the period of inadequate teaching.
(b) Counselling sessions are currently being arranged by the School
Social Support section of the Graff-Reinet District Office to deal
with the stress caused by the challenges faced by the educators and
learners. The district and the Graff-Reinet district office if
requested by the school can arrange support from the School Social
Support Section.