|
The HSRC wishes to set the record straight concerning various media reports that have cited research from the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), saying there is a shortage of 15 000 teachers. The HSRC did not make any statement about an actual current shortage of educators in 2007 or 2008. The media reports were drawn from the integrated report on Educator Supply and Demand in the South African Public Education System by Peltzer, K., Udjo, E., Wilson, D., Rehle, T., Connolly, C., Zuma, K., Letlape, L., Louw, J., Simbayi, L., Zungu-Dirwayi, N., Ramlagan, S., Magome, K., Hall, E. & Phurutse, M. (HSRC Press 2005). In that HSRC study, conducted in 2004/05, projections were made that if the 2005 standard of learner to educator ratio of 40 and 35 primary and secondary education respectively were maintained, a net-enrolment ratio of 97% would require about 348 556 (Model 1) to 366 462 (Model 2) school educators in 2008. If the past and projected trends from 2005 continued, and the projected demand for educators in 2008 are taken into consideration, there would be a shortfall of around of 15090. If the learner to educator ratio was .35 for both primary and secondary school educators, the projected demand for educators would imply a shortfall of about 32,000 to 34,000. In other words it was assumed in 2005 that by 2008 a shortage of teachers between 15,000 to 34,000 were to be expected. But we do not know –based on that study- if actually a teacher shortage exists currently in 2008. In the above calculations the HSRC had used the teacher-learner ratios of 35 and not class sizes to get estimates. For more information contact:
Prof. Karl Peltzer
Director: Social Aspects of HIV and AIDS
Human Sciences Research Council
Tel: +27 21 466 2637
E-mail: kpeltzer@hsrc.ac.za.
|
