DA: Stand up to Sadtu to protect children’s education

“The decision by the department of basic education to cave in to the threats of teacher union Sadtu [SA Democratic Teachers’ Union] and postpone the writing of the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) begs the question: who is currently in charge of our country’s education system?” DA spokeswoman Annette Lovemore said in a statement.

It was completely unacceptable that Sadtu was allowed to get away with compromising children’s education and therefore their future opportunities for a better life. The fact that the ANAs had now been postponed was yet another example of Sadtu being allowed to act against the interests of children with impunity, she said.

“It is important to recognise that Sadtu officials are elected through a highly political process – they are not appointed because of their educational expertise.”

Sadtu had in the past blocked the introduction of performance contracts for school principals, essentially stonewalling any attempt to hold principals to account on poor performance.

Now the union had succeeded in postponing one of the only tools available to assess literacy and numeracy of children, and in the process, any interventions aimed at improving the quality of education.

“Sadtu also appears to have a stranglehold on the appointment of teachers and principals, preferring to appoint those who can pay or who have political influence rather than those who are adequately qualified and have experience,” Lovemore said.

“It is high time that the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, draws a line in the sand and shows Sadtu that they may not hold education or the futures of children hostage.”

The importance of the ANAs had to be recognised. 

The education system was mired in crisis, with only half of children able to read properly by the end of grade three, and only three percent of children being appropriately numerate by the end of grade nine.

It was essential to test literacy and numeracy every year and interventions to be aggressively implemented, informed by the results of the tests, she said.

“We cannot afford to be testing any less regularly than annually as long as our education system is performing so poorly.”

Motshekga could not implement evidence-based interventions without regular testing to establish where these interventions were required.

“She can solve every problem currently experienced with the ANAs by implementing the Western Cape model of independent testing, and we call on her to do just this, in urgent consultation with education experts, not unions.

“Unions cannot be allowed to compromise the futures of our children any longer.

 We call on every South African who sees education compromised as a result of Sadtu’s selfish pursuit of political goals and refusal to be held accountable, to stand up and fight against their blatant abuse of our children.

“Every South African must send a strong message to Sadtu that our children are not political pawns. Enough is enough,” Lovemore said.