Lesufi: Our teachers must do jobs they are not qualified for
On World Teachers Day, Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, is calling on South Africa to alleviate the pressure placed on teachers and educators.
The Gauteng province has about 2.3 million learners.
Lesufi says South African teachers are not only teachers by profession, but have to also stand in as a second mother, a policeman and a social worker.
"We must appreciate the urgent need to alleviate that pressure from them. Therefore, it's very important that those who are assigned responsibilities to protect society and our children - must do that and not donate that to teachers."
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The prospect of earning more money overseas and working under safer conditions are also luring many teachers from our shores.
Lesufi says "we should celebrate" the fact that many teachers are leaving the country to teach abroad.
"It means that we are capable to contribute to the world, our training institutions are doing well to train good teachers."
Strategies are drawn up to deal with learner violence on the school grounds in which teachers become the victims.
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In September, a 17-year-old boy who attends a high school in Zeerust, North West, was charged with murder after he allegedly stabbing a teacher to death.
Lesufi says 1150 learners have been found guilty of various criminal offences in the province over the previous financial year.
"It is not a crisis, but it means we must ensure those numbers don't increase and will discipline those misbehaving."