Matabeland South is in an educational crisis with a shortfall of 1 600 Early Childhood Development teachers in the province's primary schools.
The provincial education director, Tumisang Thabela, said while Government was making efforts to promote ECD learning, Matabeleland South was struggling to secure qualified teachers to take up ECD posts.
She said the province needed 1 600 ECD teachers but had only managed to secure 116.
She said as a result most ECD classes were under the supervision of unqualified staff, which was against the education policy.
Thabela said qualified teachers shunned rural schools.
“The education policy states that teachers of ECD classes have to be diploma holders but the province does not have them. It also requires the qualified teachers to be conversant in the local language of the area where they are posted because ECD pupils have to be taught in their local language.
“As a province we only have 116 teachers out of 1 600 posts and the SDC’s of various schools have employed unqualified personnel to cover the gaps,” she said.
- Chronicle
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