The lapse in contracts of over 20,000 educator assistants just before the end-of-year exams has been criticised.
EDUCATION activists have called on the Department of Basic Education to extend the contracts of “much-needed educator assistants” as the contract end date looms.
The education assistants (EA) programme formed part of the Presidential Youth Employment R6 billion initiative, aimed at providing youth with learning and job opportunities.
The project was introduced during the hard lockdown to provide relief from the unemployment crisis.
These assistants performed supportive roles for teachers, including administrative tasks and curriculum support.
The initiative also produced job opportunities for general assistants who perform tasks ranging from gardening to Covid-19 safety-related work during the phases.
These contracts will soon come to an end for 21,000 assistants who formed part of phase 3 to make way for the next batch of unemployed youth.
Elijah Mhlanga, a spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education, said the initiative has created opportunities for youths in phases.
“The first phase commenced in December 2020 and ended in March 2021, while the second phase started in December 2021 and ended in March 2022. Between the second and third phase there were no breaks and we commenced with it in April and will come to an end at the end of August,” he said.
Mhlanga said they are now preparing for the fourth phase which will come into effect in February next year.
“The purpose is to increase your opportunities or to increase your chances of obtaining employment, you are not here to stay, as I said, you get the training and you make space for others to obtain the same skill as you,” he said.
Education activist Hendrik Makaneta said the gap between the current group and the next one will impact schools in the last term of the academic year.
“The presence of EAs at schools make a huge difference and their absence will leave a gap that will be felt. We call on the government to absorb all EAs without delay in order to maintain stability to the sector.
“The EAs have proved beyond doubt that they are capable and willing to walk an extra mile in the quest to help learners to create a future for themselves.
“The high rate of unemployment will worsen if EAs are not absorbed permanently,” he said.
The chairperson of the Educating and Allied Workers Union of SA (EUSA), Andre de Bruyn, also called on national government to keep the assistants employed for the rest of the year.
“It makes no sense in ending their contracts at the busiest time of the year when teachers are swamped, administratively.
“Except for the huge end-of-the-year administrative burden on educators, the EAs deserve a bit of financial stability.
“Times are tough on everybody and ending their contracts throws the EAs in financial strain again. Overcrowded classrooms, huge administrative burdens, unemployment and aiding in the daily educational operation of schools, should be adequate reasons to keep the EAs at schools,” he said.
Vanessa le Roux, founder of Parents for Equal Education South Africa (Peesa), also called on government to invest in the youth properly and not just leave them hanging on contracts.
“If you take into account the overcrowding of schools and absent teachers, having these assistants is surety that at that point we have supervision for our children,” she said.
Le Roux said the reality is that many of these youths are also providing for their families, and that will come to an end.
“We need to invest in these youngsters instead of making them happy with a R3,500 stipend … we need to permanently invest in them,” she concluded.
