The rights of teachers to strike must be balanced with the rights of learners to learn

What most determines a child’s success in the classroom is not their background, their financial circumstances, the curriculum or the resources of the school (although these things all play a role).

The crucial variable is the quality of the teaching.

You do not need to be an education policy expert to know this.   Many of us in this room probably attended poor schools.  I am one of them.

I grew up in the 1950s in what was then a rural part of Gauteng, and my primary school served the community around the Leeuwkop prison. There were no flush toilets, and I remember how the corrugated iron classrooms were slowly replaced by brick structures.  There were children at that school who were so poor that they arrived barefoot.  That is why shoes were not compulsory in my school, because we did not want to distinguish between people whose families could afford shoes and those who could not. We had two or three grades to each class and two languages in each class.

When I went to high school, my parents sent me to a well known school in Johannesburg. When I got there, it was quite clear that my primary education had been as good as the best schools in Johannesburg. This was because my primary school teachers ensured that we could read, write and calculate at the standards required, despite the relative deprivation in terms of physical resources, and the relative poverty of the community.  When I think back, I believe they were so dedicated because they knew it was their responsibility to educate the community out of poverty.

There are many equally dedicated teachers in South Africa today. Many of them are members of the SAOU. I have seen the difference they make in children’s lives.  Our good teachers in our good schools are doing more than any other professionals to build firm foundations for the new South Africa.

But I have also seen the negative impact of poor teaching and weak school management. When teachers spend as little time in the classroom as possible, don’t get involved in extra-mural activities and don’t care if they finish the curriculum or not, the learners suffer.

And there is still far too little accountability throughout our education system for failing to measure up to global education benchmarks.

This is why, in the Western Cape, we are now introducing performance contracts in order to hold principals and deputy principals accountable for learner outcomes. This will form the basis of a differentiated performance management system.  We are determined to move towards a situation where poor performers are managed out of the system, and excellence is rewarded.  In teaching, more than any other profession, one size does not fit all.

But we know that accountability is a two-way street. This is why the Minister, the Head of Department and senior management have performance contracts which are linked to the targets set in our strategic plan.

Our approach includes greater powers to assess teacher performance against provincial and national standards in the classroom, where it counts. That is the crux of the Western Cape Provincial School Education Amendment Bill which we hope will be passed into law by October.

There are other noteworthy aspects to the bill which, taken together, will help us provide a globally competitive education for more learners in the Western Cape. These include:

• Requiring a minimum core teaching hours every day and every week
• The banning of political activities on school premises during school hours
• Giving more search and seizure powers to schools to stop illegal substances and weapons being brought into schools

Of course, this bill – particularly the provision to assess teacher performance in the classroom – will be controversial.  But we believe it is essential. Furthermore, the good principals and good schools in the province realise that if we have to get to the heart of the problems in our weakest schools, we must understand what is happening (or not happening) inside the classrooms, that everyone is present, punctual and prepared, and that the syllabus is completed in time.

On this note, I should commend the SAOU for limiting its involvement in the strike to defined period and for condemning the violence and intimidation of some strikers.

Like the SAOU, we support the right to strike, but we also believe that rights should be exercised in a way that limits (as much as possible) undermining the rights of innocent parties.  The actions of some union members will undoubtedly mean that many learners will fail their matric, or fail to meet the entrance requirements of tertiary institutions.  This is a tragedy that will have life-long consequences for them and their families.

When it comes to exercising our rights, they are always balanced by our responsibilities and the rights of others. I believe SAOU and some other unions, have found the proper balance in the current industrial action.

It was this balance that the DA’s predecessor – the Democratic Party (DP) – attempted to legislate for back in 1993 in the amendments it proposed to the then Education Labour Relations Act (since superseded by the Labour Relations Act).

In his speech to Parliament, the DP’s Roger Burrows neatly set out the dilemma that teachers face when it comes to industrial action.

I quote:

“The particular position of teachers, their status and position in society, particularly with regard to their conditions of employment, is a very complex one. It is one in which society itself views teachers occasionally as professionals, sometimes as workers and sometimes as servants. The teachers themselves have a similar problem. Some of them view themselves as professionals and some as workers. This is not peculiar to South Africa, and I must make this absolutely clear. Throughout the world the vexed question of teachers and their role of status regarding their conditions of service is one that has raised tensions significantly.”

In his speech, Burrows noted that different countries have approached the rights of teachers to strike differently. Some do not allow teachers to organise at all. In others, staff associations are allowed but not unions. There are also countries which allow only one union.

We reject all these approaches. We believe that teachers should have the right to organize themselves and that this includes the right to strike. And we believe that teachers should have the right to join or form any union they want.

This is why we do not agree with SADTU’s attempt to destroy the other unions. We strongly oppose SADTU’s proposal to amend the constitution of the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) to increase the threshold from 50,000 members to 100,000.  We believe this is a transparent attempt by the union to stop the exodus of its members, who are increasingly disillusioned with the tone, style and management of their organization.

In this regard, it is important to note that, according to Western Cape Education Department statistics – only a third of SADTU members in the Western Cape have actually gone on strike.

It is obvious that many unionised teachers – whether they are SADTU, NAPTOSA or SAOU – take their responsibilities as seriously as their rights.

In his speech to Parliament back in 1993, Roger Burrows made the point that even in countries where the teacher’s right to strike is recognised, there are often limitations on this right. Noting the illegal conduct of some union members in a strike at that time, he argued that South Africa needed to include some limitations on the right of teachers to strike. As he said:

“We need to make quite sure that if we in this Parliament are going to give teachers the right to strike legally, we must hedge it around with sufficient conditions to ensure that parents, more than anybody else, are at least consulted, at least brought into the entire process of striking. I say this because, with all due respect, it is not simply a situation between the State as employer, and the teacher as employee. It involves children, not factory goods or commercial services.”

I am pleased to announce here today that the DA’s team in the national Parliament has begun drafting a Private Members Bill to amend the Labour Relations Act to codify the conduct of teachers who go on strike. The limitations that we will propose are – in fact – already largely followed by the responsible unions. We believe that, given the universal condemnation of the behaviour of some strikers, the time is now ripe to enforce the ethos of responsibility and accountability in this sphere as well.

Our Private Members Bill will propose a number of measures, including:

• That the right of teachers to strike is subject to the condition that a core service is rendered. It will stipulate the minimum number of ‘skeleton’ hours that teachers must complete during a strike.
• That strikes can only legally take place after consultation and agreement between government, unions and school governing bodies (in other words parents) concerning the conduct of the strike and the treatment of the pupils during the strike period.
• The imposition of severe penalties on unions (in addition to legal action taken against individuals) if their members engage in violence, looting, vandalism and intimidation.

We believe that these three measures will go a long way to restoring some balance between the rights of teachers to strike and the rights of learners to learn.

I look forward to engaging with you further on this proposal, as well as our plan to turn education around in the Western Cape, which is the one province where we can turn our words into actions because the voters made this decision.

This is an awesome responsibility, because we have to set the benchmark, and develop the strategy to demonstrate that excellence is not only possible in our education system, but essential.  Our country’s prospects, and the prospects of all our children, depend on it.

Thank you for the enormous role the SAOU is playing in this process.  I hope that within five years, we will all see the positive difference.

Download the full speech (English version)
Download the full speech (Afrikaans version)

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Imagine if you could use cellphones for instant, dynamic classroom teaching. What if you could create interactive online quizzes for learners to test their knowledge on, or post video lectures for the times when you are ill or away from class? While these ideas may seem far-fetched, they are rapidly becoming the norm in the developed world – and the UCT Internet Super-User course will teach you to implement them. Here are some reasons why you should incorporate the internet into your curriculum plan.

1. There’s so much information out there already. The web holds a wealth of interesting, educational material on every subject imaginable – tools like Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, or the Khan Academy, a site with thousands of educational videos (www.khanacademy.org). If you can tap into these sources, not only will you improve your own lesson plans, you can assign these materials as extra readings for learners to explore.
2. It makes learning more engaging for pupils. The web is an unparalleled interactive and fun learning platform. Watching videos, socialising with friends and writing blog posts can all be turned into educational opportunities. Even the cellphone is a powerful learning tool. Imagine the impact on a class about social studies if learners were to get live SMS responses to demographic questions from their parents and friends.
3. There are many excellent learning tools available online. The web isn’t just a wild and dangerous place; there are spaces where children can learn and explore safely. There are also many free and useful teaching tools, like online communities, quiz creation tools and forums, that you can harness to make learning seem more like fun and less like work. They also make your life much easier – an online quiz can instantly grade learners’ results; how long would it take for you to do the same?

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When he asked a Singapore official about the basis of their math curriculum, she cited a standards framework put out by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – in the United States. West Virginia’s curriculum takes guidance from the same source, Mr Paine says. “So the question remains, why is it that they lead the world in student achievement? I think it’s because of their teacher quality,” he says. Only the top third of secondary school graduates in Singapore can apply for teacher training. The National Institute of Education winnows that field down more and pays a living stipend while they learn to teach. Each year, teachers take an additional 100 hours of paid professional development. And they spend substantial time outside the classroom to plan with colleagues.

Not only is teaching an honored profession in Singapore, but it’s also paid as well as science and engineering careers, according to a report by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and Pearson, the groups that organised the Singapore conference for representatives from 13 nations.

Publish in Naptosa INsight, May 2010. Originally published in The Christian Science Monitor, March 2009.

Well, it all depends on the definition one assigns to both “the job” and “a calling”. To me, a job is an execution of a task or rendering of a service for the purpose of acquiring payment. Whether one enjoys or feels passionate about it, it’s of secondary interest to all parties involved. A calling on the other hand, is a combination of executing a task and enjoying every moment of the whole process. Yes, the payment forms part of it, but one happens to have a strong sense of suitability for this particular job or career.

Though it may seem far fetched, especially in the present economy,  teaching, to some of us is indeed a calling. There is nothing more exhilarating than to witness an “AHA-moment” or experience the facial expressions of learners in your classroom as you are busy imparting knowledge or a skill to them. These learners come to your class dragging their feet, maybe because of the weariness brought on by climatic conditions, or weariness brought on by emotional tension they might be experiencing because of their domestic challenges. Even possibly weariness, derived from the previous lesson where they couldn’t make head or tail of what was being disseminated, let alone expected from them.

As they sit down and blankly stare at you, expecting the same mental torture, you skillfully, with love, engage them in the concept you have prepared for your lesson. You see them gradually but steadily liven up. It’s not because of your fancy skill, but because of passion, love, determination, understanding and caring that you exude throughout the lesson. The atmosphere is so light and encompassing that if it was possible, you would stop the bell from ringing and just continue with this lesson that has kept learners transfixed to their seat, focused on the delivery and captivated by the enlightening experience they are receiving.

If you’re a departmental official, what should you do if you encounter a teacher with such capabilities?

Do you encourage him or her to apply for a post at the office, or even a promotional post which will give more office-bound administrative duties that move him or her farther from teaching? Teaching that caused him or her to choose this field in the first place.

I’m at present two levels away from learners that give me a reason to get up every morning. Yes, teaching and developing other teachers is also part of teaching and training, but to me, it’s not as fulfilling as teaching learners. The rewards are so different.

I do not believe that which puts some of the best teachers on the map is their skill, per say, but rather the chemistry evoked by the reciprocity one receives from working with fresh, curious minds in a classroom. For one to feel that chemistry, it has a lot to do with the recipients. In my case, it’s definitely the learners, for they learn for the purpose of learning. I’m on top of my game in doing my office job, managing the curriculum, the debit system and even the institution itself, but my heart and soul isn’t in that at all. It’s within those four walls that a teacher, and I mean a teacher who loves his or her job,  feels alive.

It’s actually with a sad note that one discovers the fact that high ranking officials, with expertise to manipulate the system, become so myopic to the fact that a good teacher doesn’t necessarily make a good head of department, deputy principal, principal or even a school management developer. That, in order to access better remuneration, we have to leave the classroom and abandon our calling, is a total detriment to the society and future generations. On that very same note, you ask yourself about the present hype that is so controversial – is a new curriculum the sole source of the high failure rate of the modern matriculants? Is it not possible that the system, the way it has tailored the growth of a teacher, contributes a lot by disarming learners of the best teachers and mentors? Is it a fictitious dream or ideology for teachers to move up the remuneration ranks without actually leaving their calling?

Add your comments below.

I matriculated at SACS High School in 2004 after spending both my junior and high school careers at the oldest school in South Africa. When I finished school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life other than knowing that it would be along the creative line. I toyed with the ideas of being a chef, a fine artist or something in the film industry.

After two years pottering around working random jobs and generally gaining post-school experience I woke up one day knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my life … I wanted to be a graphic designer. What’s more, I had made the decision all by myself, and I knew it was the right one.

“Take that, people who said dropping maths and science would be a grave mistake!” I thought to myself as I read my acceptance letter to study Graphic Design ND at CPUT. “Take that teachers! In fact, take that school! What did you do for me?” I thought.

Sure I had studied Art at school and that was probably my favourite subject (not only because we could get away with almost anything thanks to a few very liberal teachers over the years). Otherwise I couldn’t think of a single other subject that I had taken and stressed-out about come exam time, which played the slightest role in what I had decided to study and most likely would make a life of.

“What a waste of money!” I convinced myself. All those years of wearing a uniform and boater and getting average marks when I could have just gone to some design school to begin with.

I actually immaturely held that view for most of my tertiary education until it gradually dawned on me that what I had learnt at that fine school was far more important than the subjects or the sports games.

I had learnt how to be a gentleman, a people’s person and a confident young man. I had learnt social skills, etiquette teamwork and leadership. Qualities that made me stand out from others and skills that made me proud of everything I had achieved. Skills that didn’t come from any particular subject but from my entire, fortunate schooling experience at the hands of dedicated teachers and traditions that dated back over 150 years.

I now see the absolute importance of a good education and how vital it is to developing character, as well as a sound academic mind. It doesn’t matter whether or not the subjects you did had any bearing on what you end up doing after school.

Today I am working as a Marketing Manager for a company that develops educational software for schoolchildren and teachers.

Thank you SACS.

Ek wil nie voorgee dat ek ooit myself gesien het as onderwyser nie, en daarom was dit nogal ‘n aanpassing om weer gewoond te raak aan die roetine van skoolgaan. Soos enige jong onderwyser, was ek aanvanklik skepties en selfs ‘n bietjie skrikkerig, veral aangesien ek juis bewus is, vanuit my Sielkundige agtergrond, van die probleme wat hedendaagse tieners moet hanteer en die kinders wat ek sou onderrig uit sogenaamde “minder-bevoorregte” areas kom.

Ek sal eerlik wees en sê dat daar meer as een keer beelde van mes-gevegte, vuis-gevegte en bek-gevegte in my geestesoog verby geflits het, in die weke voordat skool begin het. Met my “veglustige” gedagtes het ek toe my nuwe hoërskool betree, nie werklik seker van wat op my wag nie.

Ek sal wil kan sê dat al my vrese van my nuwe hoërskool verniet was, maar soos wat dit dikwels in die realiteit werk, was dit nie die geval nie. Tog, het ek gevind dat tieners nie heeltemal so anders is as wat ek hulle onthou nie. Ja, daar was al ‘n paar vuis-gevegte en meer as ‘n paar beledigings en konfrontasies tussen kinders wat ek en my kollegas al moes hanteer, maar tog vind ek dat die tieners van vandag in baie maniere nog baie dieselfde is as wat ek hulle onthou. Daar is nogsteeds die raserige kinders, altyd vol grappies, die stil kinders wat nie raak gesien wil word nie, die verliefdes, die dag-dromers en daardie kinders wat net wil hê iemand moet vir hulle ‘n bietjie aandag gee.

Ek het reeds genoem dat my nuwe hoërskool ‘n skool is wat bestaan uit hoofsaaklik “minder-bevoorregte” leerders, en ek reeds voor die skooljaar begin het deur van my kollegas ingelig is oor die moeilike, soms ondenkbare, situasies waardeur baie van die leerders al moes kom. Dus was dit onmiddelik opvallend hoe vreugdevol meeste van die kinders in my hoërskool is, en enige geleentheid gebruik om dit vir my as onderwyser te wys. Of dit nou is om vir my te groet met ‘n groot glimlag, vir my te waai na skool, of vir my te kom vertel van hul families, is dit ongelooflik hoe hierdie leerders skool kan gebruik om, selfs net vir ‘n kort rukkie, van hul probleme te vergeet.

Ek is alreeds bewus daarvan dat dit nie maklik is om ‘n onderwyser te wees nie, en ek weet dat ek waarskynlik voor die einde van die jaar ‘n paar keer die handdoek (of handboek) gaan wil ingooi, maar ek het ook ‘n verantwoordelikheid teenoor my leerders om die beste onderrig te gee wat ek kan. Ek noem dit MY nuwe hoërskool omdat ek as onderwyser onlosmaaklik deel is van die sisteem, en op my eie manier ook (weer) hoërskool moet oorleef.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”

To stress his point he said to another guest: “You’re a teacher, Lynne. Be honest. What do you make?”

Lynne, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, “You want to know what I make?” (She paused for a second, then began…)

“Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Olympic Gold Medal winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents CAN’T make them sit for 5 without an iPod, Playstation or Wii.

You want to know what I make?” (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)

“I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding ISN’T EVERYTHING.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their working out in maths. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.”

(Lynne paused one last time and then continued.)

“Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.

You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?”

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

Anon

Part II

When one exchanges the life of a teacher for that of an office worker there are some sacrifices to be made … such as holidays.

I started “scouting” for other employment opportunities while I was still teaching – actually almost a year ago! The first thing I did was revamp my C.V. How you might ask? I find compiling my C.V. is like writing my own obituary -  a little bit “positively-nauseating” because of the emphasis on  winning character traits, top achievements, unique experiences and career highlights.

What about the lowlights? Aren’t these the experiences that we grow and learn from? Anyway, I managed to get past that and paint a glowing picture. But it was still to “teacher-ry”. Great if it was another teaching post that I was applying for, however, I enlisted the help of two of my friends in corporate jobs and they came up with the key word “skills”. My CV was very experienced based and I needed to translate those experiences into skills:

“Planned and co-ordinated the Extra-Mural sport programme for the Intermediate Phase”  became “Organising, managing, resource development”. From experience to skill.

In doing this, I realised that teachers have many skills that can be transferred from the classroom to the office environment. We just don’t know it!

Now I was ready to roll. I applied to all the jobs that I thought I could d and waited for the response, or in some cases the rejection! I had some very challenging interviews – but on the whole they were enjoyable learning experiences. To keep my options open I had applied for one or two teaching jobs as well. It was tough to turn down a teaching position that I was offered but I wasn’t ready to abandon my quest just yet! It was during one of these interviews that I met Dereck Marnewick – the MD of EvaluNet. I became interested in his company, did a bit of research and after a 3 hour interview … here I am!  I have now been with EvaluNet for a few months and am learning, learning, learning!

Part I

After 12 happy (mostly happy) years in teaching, predominantly Special Needs, I have made the transition to the 9 to 5 workplace. No more holidays, but no more marking either! I have been awesomely lucky to find EvaluNet which even although is a big company, still has both feet (and a big heart) firmly planted in the education system.

My decision to leave teaching was not an easy one or a quick process. I was very happy in my school, with my colleagues and with the holidays of course!

I love the act of teaching – the sweet-spot of delivering a lesson well-planned and seeing the penny drop as new concepts are learnt. Nothing beats that – or the special interaction and bond with the individuals in your class. I chose to leave for a number of reasons. Curiosity; where else in the workplace can I use the skills and training I have as a teacher?

• The need for stimulation/personal growth.
• To investigate the possibility of a more financially viable career.
• A change: I was also starting to feel like hamster on a wheel in a very small cage! I spent more time with admin than teaching. Every teacher needs a secretary, but until that happens …

In a nutshell, does “alternative” employment for someone with my skills, training and experience exist, where there is the room for progression in personal growth and finances?  Do such opportunities exist? So began my search.

Had my life taken a different path (kids and a bread-winning husband!), I might have felt differently. I am excited by the change and chance to learn new things and expand my frame of reference. I make this change with the knowledge that the classroom will still be there should I feel the need to leave my cheese and return to the chalk!