The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Concerned Authorities

 

We, the undersigned unemployed educators, call on the Department to urgently address the ongoing crisis of teacher unemployment in KwaZulu-Natal.

 

KwaZulu-Natal’s unemployment rate stands at 28.6% (Statistics South Africa, 2021), with an estimated 25,566 unemployed teacher graduates and approximately 3,720 vacant educator posts. This situation not only affects qualified professionals but also undermines the future of learners in the province.

 

We urgently propose the following interventions:

 

1. Convert the Educational Assistant (EA) and General Assistant (GA) Programmes into Teaching Internships

These positions should prioritise qualified teachers and PGCE graduates to gain practical experience.

 

2. Remove Age Restrictions

All qualified teachers, regardless of age, should have equal access to employment opportunities.

 

3. Allocate Funds Towards Permanent Teaching Posts

Budget allocations must prioritise the appointment of teachers into permanent positions rather than temporary programmes.

 

4. Increase Stipends for Qualified Teachers

When EA and GA positions are converted to teaching internships, stipends must be increased, and qualified teachers must be prioritised.

 

5. Improve Transparency and Accountability

All official departmental social media pages must allow public comments to ensure transparency and community engagement. Currently, comments on Facebook and X (Twitter) are disabled, preventing accountability.

 

6. Prioritise Hiring in All Phases

Educator shortages must be addressed across all phases—Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase, Senior Phase, and FET—not only in selected subjects.

 

7. Enforce the Retirement Age of 60

This measure will open posts for younger qualified teachers who have waited years for employment.

 

8. Implement Transparent Digital Hiring Systems

Use a modern, functional digital database for advertising posts and accepting applications.

The current portal (https://kzn-edu01.web.app/educator is seldom updated and does not show advertised posts.

KZN should adopt a transparent system similar to Gauteng’s model. Employ capable IT staff to maintain the platform and allow public engagement.

 

9. Prohibit Biased and Nepotistic SGB Hiring Practices

Family connections and favoritism in hiring panels undermine fairness. Principals and unions must enforce integrity during interviews and recommendations.

 

10. Investigate Persistent Hiring Failures

KZN remains the only province consistently citing “insufficient funds” to employ teachers. A full investigation is needed to understand why posts remain unfilled despite a large pool of qualified graduates.

 

11. Advertise All Posts Publicly

Temporary, substitute, substantive, and growth posts must be transparently advertised. Currently, educators rely on private confirmations rather than official listings, which enables gatekeeping and restricts access.

 

12. Ensure Full Transparency in the KZN Database

All advertised vacancies must be accessible on an updated, reliable platform.

 

13. Address Private School Employment Barriers

Many private schools mainly seek retirees or teachers with extensive experience. New graduates are excluded and cannot build experience without public-sector opportunities.

 

14. Increase Permanent Appointments and Job Security

Educators at all levels deserve stability, dignity, and long-term employment security.

 

15. Reform the Recommendation Letter Process

Reports indicate that recommendation letters are issued unfairly, benefitting those with close ties to school leadership. Substitute posts are rarely advertised, limiting fair participation.

 

16. Provide Experience Opportunities

Private schools require 5–10 years’ experience, yet unemployed teachers cannot obtain this without public-sector opportunities.

The PYEI should be restructured to prioritise qualified teachers. Cleaners are already employed in most schools; GA funds can be redirected to create one-year teaching internships with improved stipends.

 

17. Prioritise KwaZulu-Natal Teachers First

Many unemployed teachers are willing to relocate but cannot afford to do so. KZN must improve its internal systems rather than pushing graduates out of the province.

 

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Historical Context and Current Crisis

 • 2011: Under MECs Senzo Mchunu and Peggy Nkonyane, shortages were already evident despite ongoing university output.

 • 2022: Under MEC Kwazi Mshengu, KZN had 7,000 unfilled teaching posts, part of a national shortage of 24,000.

 • 2024: MEC Mbali Frazer stated that due to budget constraints, only 600 of the 45,000 unemployed KZN teacher graduates could be hired.

 • 2024/2025: The Department received R63 billion, with 80% allocated to salaries, yet teacher shortages persisted.

 • September 2024: Only 737 PL1 educator posts were advertised.

 • March 2025: Over 40,000 unemployed teachers remained without work in KZN—some waiting more than a decade.

 • 2025/2026 Budget: An additional R3.7 billion was allocated to the Department.

 • April 2025: The Department announced it filled 1,530 PL1 posts, mostly in senior FET subjects. There is no evidence of Foundation Phase or Intermediate Phase hiring.

 

While we celebrate those who were appointed, this does not reflect inclusive or balanced hiring across phases. The public is misled into believing progress is sufficient when it is not.

 

The Department also inconsistently reported hiring 600, then later 700 teachers, without clarifying where these positions were allocated.

 

Meanwhile, unemployed teachers feel unsupported by both the Department and professional bodies like SACE, which demands fees while offering no employment support. Many unemployed teachers are now indebted to SACE despite being jobless.

 

Teachers also face scams from bogus circuit managers, further endangering their wellbeing. Even volunteering is discouraged, removing an important avenue for gaining experience.

 

Many educators have been unemployed for 10–15 years while vacant posts remain unfilled or privately circulated.

 

Recent Developments

 

According to reports, the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury—under Finance MEC Francois Rodgers—placed the Department of Education under administration on 27 August 2025. From that date, the Department could not spend funds without Treasury approval.

 

Furthermore, reports indicate that:

 • 30,000 teachers nationally have left the public sector for the private sector.

 • In KZN, none of these vacancies have been filled by unemployed teachers, despite a national database of qualified graduates awaiting placement.

 • 5,994 teachers resigned or were dismissed, yet these posts remain vacant.

 

These vacancies must be filled urgently to stabilise the education system.

 

We are in immense need of employment.

 

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Signed,

 

Unemployed Teachers of KwaZulu-Natal

 

Unemployed teachers, sign this petition to take a step toward meaningful change. Every signature counts. Together, we can make a difference.