Half of the graduates from government’s teacher bursary scheme still without jobs
· Citizen
Nearly half of the graduates funded through the government’s flagship teacher bursary scheme remain without teaching posts, despite efforts to attract more young people into the profession.
Visit livefromquarantine.club for more information.
This emerged on Tuesday when the Department of Basic Education (DBE) presented its third quarterly performance report to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education.
The report shows that only 922 of the 1 858 Funza Lushaka graduates issued to provincial education departments (PEDs) have been placed in schools, leaving almost 50% still without jobs.
Half of graduates still unplaced
According to the DBE, the overall placement rate stands at 49.62%, meaning 936 graduates remain unplaced.
The province that placed the fewest graduates was the Northern Cape with 21 (1.13%), while KwaZulu-Natal placed the highest with 184 graduates (9.90%).
Other placements include:
- Mpumalanga: 61 graduates (3.28%)
- Free State: 87 graduates (4.68%)
- Eastern Cape: 92 graduates (4.95%)
- North West: 96 graduates (5.17%)
- Limpopo: 108 graduates (5.81%)
- Gauteng: 129 graduates (6.94%)
- Western Cape: 144 graduates (7.75%)
The figures highlight ongoing challenges in absorbing newly qualified teachers into the schooling system, while teacher shortages persist.
No automatic jobs after bursary
Responding to questions from MPs, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube explained that while the government encourages young people to enter teaching, a bursary does not guarantee employment.
“We [are] encouraging younger and younger people to take up this profession, and we want them to be qualified, and we want them to be employable,” she told the committee.
However, she clarified that graduates must still compete for available posts.
“There isn’t an automatic [placement]. If you receive a bursary, you now need to be placed. There needs to be a vacancy that is funded and then people apply and then they get into that work,” she said.
The minister said government would like to see more Funza Lushaka graduates placed in schools, but fiscal constraints remain an obstacle.
“The issue around the fiscal envelope becomes a problem,” she added.
ALSO READ: ‘Let’s close this chapter’: Matric Class of 2025 urged to collect NSC certificates
Provinces responsible for hiring
Gwarube said employment decisions ultimately lie with provincial education departments, which are responsible for filling posts.
“Even when they do have the bursary, ultimately, they’ll still need to apply and go through the process of applying to be an educator at a school,” she said.
“If there’s a fully funded post that they can go into, then of course they can be appointed.”
Teacher allocation under review
The DBE also acknowledged concerns about teacher distribution, particularly in overcrowded classrooms where pupil-to-teacher ratios remain high.
Gwarube told MPs the department has begun reviewing the post-provisioning norms (PPN), the policy that determines how many teachers are allocated per number of pupils.
“The post-provisioning norms haven’t been updated in 20 years,” she said.
“Our view is that that is a long time. The shape and size of the education system has evolved, and therefore we have to update the post-provisioning norms.”
NOW READ: Calls for faster removal of pit toilets after pupil falls into school latrine