04 October 2020

EUSA DOES NOT SUPPORT THE OCTOBER  7 SELLOUTS’ STRIKE BY A UNION FEDERATION IN GOVERNMENT BUT CLAIMING TO STRIKE AGAINST GOVERNMENT.

Educators’ Union of South Africa  (EUSA), a fast-growing teachers’ union in the country, is not in support of the October 7 strike that is organized by one of the Alliances of the Employer to make a mockery of all betrayed civil servants.

The October 7 strike will not provide any solutions to the problems that the government employees in all departments, are confronted with, instead, they stand to lose their one day’s salary when the Employer applies the no-work-no-pay principle.

More than 27 000 EUSA members, countrywide, refuse to be fooled by the federations that do not fight for the interests of the workers instead of using the frustrations of the workers to campaign and gauge the support of the ruling party in the coming Local Government Elections.

The main question is: Why the organisers of this useless strike are not using their seats in the tripartite alliance to force the government/employer to implement  Resolution 1 of 2018 and also to attend to all other issues that are listed in their memorandum?

The planned strike on Wednesday will not bear any fruits for public servants as after the few hours on the streets things will go back to the state they’re in today. The only major impact will be that the employer will apply the no-work-no-pay principle which will affect workers who are already underpaid and without a salary increase.

We further reject the notion that the Treasury cannot afford salary increments for public servants. State funds have been looted during Covid-19 by people who are still in government office even today. The few arrests that we see today are to fight internal political battles and will do South Africans no good. The only real action needed is that all those who have looted state funds must be ordered to pay back the money or face the reality of their assets being auctioned to repay the looted funds. President Ramaphosa should also be firm to even those who are his friends in government. Billions of Rands were looted in basic education and no investigation is being done there.

We are not shaken by the political campaign of those that are in government through the tripartite alliance trying to use this period to the campaign. It is not the first time they are doing this. They have been threatening to leave the Alliance for years, we know they won’t because they are part of the government and it’s so undermining for them to think that South Africans do not know this. We call on all public servants, to go to work on Wednesday, 7th of October 2020, and not be misled by those who are bored of sitting in air-conditioned offices while ignoring worker grievances daily.

The only protest that EUSA will support is one that says, WORKERS SHOULD WITHDRAW THEIR LABOUR  UNTIL THEIR DEMANDS ARE MET!!

Otherwise, we will not support any form of one-day crèche arrangement, that will negatively affect all workers.

ISSUED BY THE EDUCATORS UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA (EUSA)

Good Day, Mr President
EDUCATORS’ UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA (EUSA), is a non-politically aligned teachers’ union that is representing more than 27 000 teachers and support staff within the education sector. Our main task, is to protect the interests of both our members and learners, at all costs and further root out any element of criminality and corruption whenever it raises its ugly head within the department of education.

In your ticket to the presidency, you promised the nation and pledged that you wold tackle corruption at all levels of the public institutions. You went on and reaffirmed your posture in fighting against corruption when you delivered your first state of the nation address in the National Assembly, on the 15th of February 2018, when you say, “ This is the year in which we will turn the tide of corruption in our public institutions, we must fight corruption, fraud and collusion in the private sector with the same purpose and intensity”.

Mr President, we believe that, now is the time to walk the talk. Hence, herein we request the establishment of the Covid-19 Commission of inquiry into the embezzlement of funds that were directed into the fight against the pandemic, in both Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal Schools. — READ MORE —

Re : URGENT INTERVENTION TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT LIVES OF SOUTH AFRICAN TEACHERS
AND LEARNERS AGAINST THE ALARMING COVID-19 CATASTROPHE
Your Excellencies
EDUCATORS’ UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA – EUSA, calls for the urgent intervention of the World Health Organization and its Member States to protect the innocent lives of the South African teachers and learners against the forseeable alarming Covid-19 catastrophe. — READ MORE —

Overaged pupils are accused of bullying teachers and fellow pupils, and are said to be responsible for the high levels of violence and intimidation in the classroom.

Some teachers say they live in fear of being attacked by mature learners who are often aggressive, and they are forced to tread carefully in the classroom so as to not aggravate them.

The issue of overage learners was thrown into the spotlight in June when Joburg’s Forest High School pupil Daniel Bakwela, 16, was stabbed to death, allegedly by 20-year-old Mohamed Mwela, a Grade 11 pupil at the school. The two were said to be members of rival gangs.

During Mwela’s bail hearing in the Johannesburg Magistrate Court, magistrate Basimane Molwana slammed Gauteng Education’s admission policy for allowing a 20-year-old learner to still be in high school.

“It appears that there are adults studying at Forest High School. Teachers there are teaching pupils who are almost adults or are adults. The deceased himself was a 16-year-old and (in) Grade 8; meaning that he could have finished matric at the age of 21,” said Molwana.

He asked why an age limit had not be applied at the school.

“The department should facilitate alternative measures to encourage the accused to further his studies and if possible, to relocate to another school.”

In the Vaal, teachers who spoke to the Sunday Independent on condition of anonymity, said they were constantly provoked by learners.

Teachers at Maxeke Secondary and Beverly Hills High said violence in the schools was perpetuated by older learners who had been to initiation schools.

“It’s tough and you can never do anything right. When you shout at these older learners, they become aggressive and shout back. If you discipline them, be prepared for them to fight back. I’ve witnessed several instances where learners attacked teachers. Some behave this way because they are old and feel that they deserve respect from us.

“Last week, we were dealing with a case of a 19-year-old Grade 10 pupil who refused to obey an instruction to leave the classroom from a female teacher,” said a teacher from Tharabollo Secondary School, adding that older girls were also not innocent and often demanded that they be “touched in a sexy way”.

Unity Secondary School principal James Makhubu said he had recently suspended eight older learners for being disruptive at the Daveyton- based school.

“They wanted to smoke and form gangs in the schoolyard. I charged three of them with possession of dagga. These are Grade 11 and 12 learners who are aged between 18 and 19,” said Makhubu.

He said some of the older pupils came to urban schools from rural areas, where schools were far away from their homes and had been forced to start school at a much older age.

Sicelo Bhengu, president of the Educators Union of South Africa and a teacher in Inanda township, Kwazulu-Natal, said their members report at least 12 cases of harassment and violence perpetrated by learners each week. “Some learners sell drugs and get involved in illegal activities in the classroom and expect teachers to be silent,” he said.

Bhengu believes that some of these “notorious” learners have had a brush with the law and are in school as a way of keeping them out of prison.

“I feel some of these learners returned to school after being arrested and pleaded with magistrates that they were still at school.

“As a union, we have made a call for SAPS reservists to be deployed in schools to search these learners before they enter the premises. We believe this will help to eradicate violence.”

The SA Democratic Teachers Union spokesperson, Nomusa Cembi, admitted that some teachers had to deal with learners who are almost the same age as them and that often led to challenges when it came to discipline.

However, she emphasised that it was a prerogative of the Department of Education to provide safety measures for teachers at schools.

Basic Education Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the Constitution afforded all learners a right to basic education and not all of them progressed at the same pace. 

He said as long as overaged pupils were still in the system, the department would support them.

Sunday Independent

5 October 2019

EDUCATORS’ UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA – EUSA

NOTHING TO CELEBRATE AND NO REASON TO PRETEND!

Teachers’ Day in South Africa is just another day. Our government and other education stakeholders do not even hold this day to any importance. It is not celebrated at all. Instead teachers are the ones who get excited about this day. But we are not complaining because there is nothing to Celebrate.

During a time where teachers are killed and abused by learners, parents and department officials in South Africa – there is really nothing to celebrate for us. Otherwise it would mean we are celebrating the violence that teachers are subjected to by our education department as well as learners.

So we reiterate that this day is just the same as any other. It does not do any better to the depression that teachers are already dying from. It does not make our working environments any better. It does not stop District officials and principals from bullying us. All it does is to remind us of the abuse that which we are subjected to on a daily basis all because we chose to love the future of the children of this country.

Even courts rule that teachers can be stabbed and it’s okay. For teachers being injured while on duty is not Injury on duty! This pain that we are feeling is ignored by everyone. Instead of our employer supporting us they make us pay for SACE which we pay for them to only come and abuse us more. Even the court which are a beacon for hope for many to us they remain part and parcel of those who choose to not see our struggle.

We want the nation to know that the problems faced by our country’s education will not fade away by them ignoring the fact that teachers are the only masters of learning. While Education in South Africa is still under the capture of SADTU and the employment of teachers is facilitated politically through SGBs, our learners continue to suffer and so does the country.

It is only a matter of time until we take it to the streets because to us education is passion and we will fight to defend it!

Issued by the:
NATIONAL OFFICE:
EDUCATORS’ UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA- EUSA
info@eusaunion.co.za
+27 (0) 76 398 4095
+27 (0) 79 067 6390
+27 (0) 78 051 2577
www.eusaunion.co.za

EUSA has learnt through a series of incidents involving the attack of teachers while on duty that these incidents could have been avoided had teachers been in possession of necessary equipment to defend themselves. Teachers across the country have been experiencing attacks by members who are within and outside their school communities. In all these, the hooligans come armed with dangerous weapons which in most cases have resulted in the loss of lives of teachers.

All human beings are entitled to a safe and healthy working environment. This is reflective in Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) that was written and passed by parliament to address this matter. Section 8 bears reference. But it is clear that despite a number of attempts by EUSA to engage the DoE on the matter of safety, our attempts have been met with utter arrogance and lack of care for the safety of teachers. This is all despite the loss of many lives as well as continued attacks levelled against teachers.

Teachers can no longer base their safety on the Old men whom the department takes from the street and places them at the gates of schools without any training. These elderly people are mostly those who are pensioners and they are only given knobkerries to prevent knives and guns from entering school premises. A majority of cases where teachers are attacked take place within school premises. The department has done nothing other than  issuing statements that endanger teachers more. It is worse that we have now seen the reappointment of Gogo Incompetent Motshekga which to us was clear communication that even our government is happy with the killing of teachers and the collapsing education system.

It is for this reason among many that we have decided to instruct all our members and the general teaching community to take up arms and protect themselves from hooligans that masquerade as learners in schools as well as those members of the community that enter schools to attack teachers. Any teacher who has any tool that can be useful in a situation of self-defence is encouraged to take the tool to work every day. Not anymore shall it happen that teachers sacrifice their lives for a job that replaces them the minute they are dead or hospitalised. Any teacher who needs any advice or assistance must not hesitate to contact EUSA across all provinces.

Issued by the Educators Union of South Africa

Contact: General Secretary

Siphiwe Mpungose

078 051 2577

s.mpungose@eusaunion.co.za

www.eusaunion.co.za F:Educators Union of South Africa

31 May 2019

Att: Media / Educators / President Ramaphosa

The reappointment of Minister Angie Motshekga into basic education is a direct insult to the general education of South Africa. It clearly shows the promises made by President Ramaphosa pre the elections was nothing out of the ordinary – an elections campaign. The promise of efficient and capable leadership seems to mean the opposite as Ministers like Minister Motshekga have already been tried, tested and failed.

It is public knowledge that the standard and quality of our basic education system has fallen with the introduction of Minister Motshega in office. Today, learners in South Africa use a curriculum which sets them up for failure. Learners no longer fail, even if they get less than the 30% pass mark which is also a joke. It is under her leadership that teachers and learners are killed in schools. Teachers are neither safe nor happy under her leadership. Ordinarily, we would ask, “should someone die first before there is change.” But in this instance many have lost lives and President Ramaphosa seems to not care. He seems to not care about the collapsing education system of our country.

We know that this, besides putting his organisation before the country, is because all their children are in private schools where they follow an IEB curricular. Even the SADTU fearing Panyaza Lesufi would be a better option. Not that he is a saint himself. The Gauteng Education department is overwhelmed with complaints by teachers of bullying by SADTU Principals and District officials. We know that he ignores this because he is afraid of SADTU but also because he likes media attention. So with the media attention he would receive at national, we are certain that he would do better.

Equally, Minister Blade Mzimande should first account on the murder, arrest, suspension and expulsion of higher education students as a result of his call. His reappointment also shows a lack of seriousness on the President’s side when it comes to the education of South Africa. We call on President Ramaphosa to prioritise the future of South Africans in general by reconsidering this appointment. A third term of failure can never equal a new dawn.

ENOUGH WITH ANGIE MOTSHEKGA!

SHE HAS DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE. WE CANNOT SIT AND WITNESS ANOTHER 5 YEARS OF TEACHER-KILLINGS AND MISMANAGEMENT IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT!

Issued by the Educators Union of South Africa

Siphiwe Mpungose
General Secretary
+27 78 051 2577
www.eusaunion.co.za
F: Educators Union of SA
Twitter: @eusaunion

The Umgungundlovu District topped the chart with a pass rate of 81.51%, while Zululand was last, with 64.83%.

The province has set the bar higher this year, aiming for a 10% increase in the pass rate from last year, to 83%.

A total of 796542 full-time and part-time pupils wrote the National Senior Certificate exams, while 12372 sat for the IEB exams.

According to Basic Education Department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga, it was the first time in five years that no paper was leaked, while all irregularities experienced were resolved.

Scelo Bhengu, of the Educators’ Union of South Africa, said that no irregularities indicated that teachers had done good work in preparing pupils.

He said teachers at rural and poor schools had to put in extra effort.

“Although without the resources such as science labs and libraries, rural and poor township schools worked under poor conditions and still managed to contribute to quality exams. It is unfair that pupils at these schools wrote the same paper as the pupils in rich and resourceful schools.

“The overcrowding of their classrooms is not being addressed, and yet these schools are part of the statistics. While our teachers continue to strive against all odds, we encourage them to keep doing what they do, to provide quality education to the nation,” he said.

Bhengu said the department should take the issue of classroom overcrowding seriously.

He called for a teacher:pupil ratio of 1:30 to improve education and the quality of matric results

Daily News

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