PROVINCE |
NUMBER OF VACANCIES AS AT THE END OF JULY 2018 |
NUMBER OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS |
VACANCY RATE |
EASTERN CAPE |
81 |
847 |
10% |
FREE STATE |
14 |
244 |
6% |
GAUTENG |
49 |
621 |
8% |
KWAZULU-NATAL |
172 |
1 604 |
11% |
LIMPOPO |
127 |
1 352 |
9% |
MPUMALANGA |
41 |
430 |
10% |
NORTH CAPE |
9 |
111 |
8% |
NORTH WEST |
24 |
341 |
7% |
WESTERN CAPE |
55 |
339 |
16% |
NATIONAL |
572 |
5 889 |
10% |
Source: PERSAL, July 2018
(b) Vacancies occur at schools throughout the year mainly as a result of natural attrition with key drivers being resignations, retirements and to a lesser extent deaths. Also to note is that Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) advertise and fill promotional posts, at most, twice a year. Acting appointments are made in promotional posts as soon as the post becomes vacant. In order to address workload challenges, PEDs make temporary appointment against vacant promotional posts where necessary.
(c) About 44% of the posts as at the end of July 2018 were six (6) months or less vacant; 24% vacant of 7-12 months, 9 % up to 24 months and 23% longer than 24 months. Of the posts that were vacant for more than 12 months, about 45% were those in small schools of between one (1) and three (3) teachers some of them on the verge of being closed due to decreasing or consistently low enrolment.
2. The question is more relevant to the provincial administration because it is the responsibility of the Employer, who in terms of section 3(1)(b) of the Employment of Educators Act is the Head of the Provincial Education Department, to ensure that vacancies are filled and to attend to any dispute that arises at the provincial level.
The question should therefore be forwarded to the relevant Employers for details and response.