TEACHERS
No funds for Covid-19 substitute teachers as thousands of educators stay away
Hiring enough extra stand-in teachers to cover for educators allowed to stay at home would add R650m a month to the education wage bill
The government cannot afford to hire enough substitute teachers to step in for the thousands of educators who have been given permission to stay at home on full pay because they are at risk of coronavirus complications, parliament heard on Tuesday.
The government has so far approved more than 20,000 of the 27,000 applications from older teachers and those with co-morbidities who had sought permission not to return to their schools when they reopen, according to basic education director-general Mathanzima Mweli. This represents just more than 5% of the 390,000 educators now employed in SA’s nearly 23,000 public schools...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.