One of the most frustrating dilemmas that the South African government is dealing with is the failure to deliver equitable education and training to all. After seventeen years of democratic government, five different national ministers of education, scores of provincial ministers of education and various changes in the education systems, there are still inequalities prevalent in schools.
In his book Advocates for Change: How to Overcome Africa’s Challenges, Professor Jonathan Jansen, Vice Chancellor of the University of the Free State, puts into perspective some of the possible reasons for the conundrum of two unequal school systems in South Africa. On the one hand we have the underperforming black rural and township schools, and on the other hand we have the smaller middle-class Afrikaans and English medium schools (previously white) providing a functional educational system. This smaller sub-system provides most of the high school graduates that make it into universities.
What are the causes for these differences?
Many factors have been blamed for the differences in the two sub-systems. One of these is the fact that the parents of poorer children may not able to help their children with homework and assignments. Another factor is the lack of libraries and science laboratories and equipment. But many such factors can be disregarded due to the fact that poor children from black townships attending so-called Model C schools do very well. In addition, some schools in poorer areas get really good results despite not having money for libraries and laboratories.
Prof. Jansen points out that the two main differences between these two sub-systems seem to be the lack of systematic routines and rituals and a general lack of knowledge among teachers and principals in the township and rural schools. A certain amount of knowledge is required to impact on learning and to influence; worldwide, routines and rituals need to be established in productive schools.
Lack of systems and routines
What are the reasons for the disruption of ordinary school routines? Think about your school days and you will realise that considerable effort went into routine activities such as learners and teachers starting and ending on time, attending classes every day, monitoring of class attendance, homework issued and controlled regularly, regular tests being scheduled, parents being informed of school activities and disciplinary codes enforced. Errant teachers and learners used to be confronted promptly about their bad behaviour and were duly disciplined.
Lack of knowledge and accountability
The government invests large amounts of money in the development and training of teachers. Teachers even complain that they are suffering from training fatigue. Yet they are not held accountable for the quality of their teaching performance. There is still a historical resentment of and resistance to being evaluated and monitored as a teacher and this attitude is supported by the trade unions. Various attempts to instil systems of performance evaluation have failed to be successfully implemented due to this resistance.
Who should take responsibility for correcting this behaviour?
Traditionally there are two entities that guide the behaviour of professional people like doctors, accountants, engineers and such. These entities are the professional bodies and the employers. Teachers are guided by their employers, their professional body, the Quality Council for General and Further Education (Umalusi) and their trade unions. All these organisations have a code of behaviour or ethics that prescribes ethical and professional behaviour. It seems that some teachers follow these codes and others definitely do not.
Employers and Umalusi
Teachers in South Africa have three tiers of management, namely their school principal and governing body, provincial and district management and the national department of basic education. Which of these entities should take responsibility to get teachers to function effectively in schools and classrooms?
It seems that many principals in underperforming schools are too scared of union action to take disciplinary action against teachers that are not toeing the line.Umalusi, a government appointed quality assurance body that is responsible for the quality of delivery in general and further education schools, decided to do the quality assurance of provincial departments of education only. In turn, the provinces are supposed to ensure quality of delivery in the schools in each province. However, area and provincial supervision has been rejected by teachers in most schools and this attitude is backed up by the unions.
According to the constitution the National Department of Basil Education is not held responsible for the quality of teaching in the schools. What we need is leadership on all the management tiers, starting with the Minister of Basic Education, that oversee the educational system. We also need more leaders to stand up amongst principals and teachers to show the way. It is sad to say that some of those who have done so in the past have found that it is easier to conform and be quiet due to adverse peer pressure.
The South African Council of Educators
The South African Council of Educators (SACE) is a professional body aimed at enhancing the status of teaching and learning, to promote the development of educators and their professional conduct. It seems that SACE is not very successful in developing the professional conduct of many teachers who will go on strike and disrupt classes for union meetings at the drop of a hat, or who are often late for class or do not even bother to turn up at all.
The Code of Professional Ethics of teachers registered or provisionally registered with the SACE does not seem to have much influence on many teachers. It is true all over the world that an education system can be no better than the teachers delivering the education. Educators should adhere to the code of professional ethics of SACE, such as to acknowledge the noble calling of their profession and to acknowledge that the attitude, dedication, self-discipline, ideals, training and conduct of the teaching profession determine the quality of education.
It is time for SACE to take steps to deregister teachers that do not perform their duties in a professional way. This must also include some of the more mundane indiscretions like never being on time and using corporate punishment on learners.
SADTU
The most powerful and influential body involved with teachers is the teachers’ labour unions, of which SADTU has the most members. They share a similar code of conduct with SACE.
The main aim of SADTU is to eradicate all forms of discrimination in education and to strive towards a free and democratic system of education in South Africa. If this were true, SADTU teachers will show respect for their learners and ensure that they are taught in the best possible way. If it is true that SADTU teachers are strongly committed to overcoming the serious legacies of apartheid education, and view their union as an effective structure through which they can participate in a transformative programme of national reconstruction and development, they will work very hard to eradicate the legacy of apartheid and overcome the odds in poorer schools.
The unions need to take more responsibility for the way teachers are performing in the classroom and start thinking of ways to encourage teachers to be more effective and efficient in delivering education and training. It must surely mean something to SADTU that learners are the losers where teachers can never be called to order when they transgress.
Marietta van Rooyen has been a technical teacher and education and training specialist since 1978 and is a board member of the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP). She is also the Executive Chair of the Assessment College Holdings Group.
