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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is disappointed by the appointment of Ron Swartz to head up a new unit which will monitor schoolteachers and principals.

Swartz used to head up education in the Western Cape but presided over the steady decline of education in the province as evidenced by a worsening matric pass rate and increasing numbers of dysfunctional schools. To appoint somebody who has so spectacularly failed as an educationalist to an even more influential position in education defies belief.

Swartz has been appointed as head of the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit. This unit is intended to monitor classroom performance countrywide.

His appointment undermines the President's announcement that there should be more accountability in teaching. We absolutely agree with the need for more accountability. The establishment of this unit is one of the first, faltering steps in a positive direction but the entire exercise risks being undermined by what is yet another example of cadre deployment gone wrong.

The vacancy for this position does not appear to have been advertised. I will ask parliamentary questions to establish whether all procedures have been properly followed.