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The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) - the biggest union in the education and public service sectors - welcomes all teachers, lecturers, education support personnel and learners back to school in the start of the 2020 academic year.

The year begins on a high note following the historic 81, 3% 2019 matric pass. We hope the 2020 class will surpass this mark. However, at the same time, we call on the country to focus her attention on all Grades starting from Early Childhood Development (ECD).

SADTU expects to see effective learning and teaching taking place on the first day of school. However, we are aware of instances of late registrations and admissions in provinces such as the Western Cape and Gauteng which may delay effective learning and teaching on the first day. We appeal to parent to register their children on time.

As signatories to the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC), we expect teachers and our members in particular to be in class, on time, prepared and professional at all times. At the same time, we expect the Department of Basic Education to provide proper basic infrastructure, learning and teaching materials so that effective learning can take place.

No class should be without a teacher. We call on the Department to avoid delays in the payment of salaries of AET lecturers, ECD and temporary teachers. We call on our sites to monitor this and report all delays in the delivery of learning and teaching materials, delays in the appointment and paying of salaries of teachers at the end of the month. It is just uncalled for, inhumane and unprofessional to delay the payment of temporary teachers at the end of each January. This must come to an end forthwith.

As we start the 2020 academic year, SADTU calls on all South Africans to support education by protecting and supporting schools through the Union’s “#I am a School Fan” campaign. The campaign seeks to mobilise all stakeholders in communities to defend and protect schools so that they become safe for teachers as well as the learners.

As the 2020 academic year coincides with the 30th anniversary of SADTU, the union commits to do more to ensure the realisation of the theme adopted at the Union’s 9th National Congress in September last year, “Claiming our right to have our human dignity and safety protected and respected in pursuit of a decolonised quality public education.”

In conclusion, SADTU’s National Officer Bearers (NOB’s) will, on the first day of school, visit schools across provinces to monitor the readiness for the 2020 academic year.

Issued by SADTU